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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: MONDAY, JUNE 09, 2026
Every marriage has got its divorce potential but it is up to the couple to suppress that potential and maintain the bonds that bind the marriage together.
For Eng William Taylor Tiyo Odaa and Mrs. Lillian Draleru Tiyo, May 30, 2026 marked an extra-ordinary milestone of celebrating a silver jubilee of resilience, wit and dynamic marriage relationship.
“We have quarreled more than a thousand times, but nobody from within our family of from outside notices it because our quarreling venue is the master bedroom,” he said.
“In 25 years we have not called our best man or the matron to come and mediate any disagreement between me and my wife Draleru,” Eng Tiyo added.
Ideally their wedding date was 03-02-2001 and the 25th anniversary should have been in February, 2026. But owing to the immense political pressure the couple had just emerged through, culminating in the God-given victory in January 2026 that propelled Eng Tiyo to represent Ayivu East constituency in the Parliament of Uganda, they had to celebrate the Jubilee belatedly on 30-05-2026.
It was organized at Emmanuel Cathedral in Mvara which is nearly midway Ayivu East Constituency. Mvara glittered with men and women dressed in colorful wear to celebrate this milestone. Notably was the 25 couples of Fathers’ Union and Mothers’ Union who were clad in their blue attires. Eng. Tiyo and Mr. Lillian joined these noble groups in the Church of Uganda in the year 2019 and 2007 respectfully.
This could have been the greatest number of members of the Fathers’ Union and Mothers’ Union to bless a marriage function as couples in the history of the Diocese of Madi-West Nile. Eng. Tiyo is fond of identifying with the Fathers’ Union and he always does it with full excitement.
Their marriage was church-crowned based on Christian teaching just like many others but the couple had to take extra considerations to successfully manage fault lines.
“You have seen spectacular break up of marriages after lavishly expensive weddings. That is because people tend to develop other objectives other than the three objectives for which God ordained marriage in the Garden of Eden,” he said referring to the divine command to procreate and nurture children in knowledge and love of God.
Additionally, the command calls for the mutual joy, help and comfort given to one another in prosperity and adversity, and also to maintain purity so that husbands and wives who cannot control their sexual lust can be helped to live moral lives.
Mr and Mrs Tiyo fondly refer to one another as Uncle Roy and Aunt Lillian for the 25 years of co-existence.
Eng. Tiyo says that the pillars on which many marriages thrive other than God’s objective for marriage include the fate of the children if the parents have to separate, what people who witnessed their wedding would say in case their marriages fail; how God would feel about them if they divorce and subsequently bringing shame on Jesus Christ, and how to share the co-owned assets.
In the 25 years, the couple has been blessed with five children (four girls and one boy). Two of the children have completed Bachelor’s degrees and are pursuing Masters Degrees, one child is joining university this year, the other one has enrolled in S.4 and the lastborn is in S.3.
The duo married when Draleru had a Certificate in Nursing while Tiyo had Diploma in Civil and Building Engineering. However through thick and thin of things, Draleru now has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Works and Social Administration and Diploma in Counseling while Tiyo went on to not only add a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and Building Engineering, but also a Post-graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management and a Master’s of Science in Construction Engineering Management from the prestigious University of East London.
Many dependents have also passed through their hands to acquire life skills in vocation training schools during the two –and-a-half decades of their marriage.
Tiyo says over time, he learnt to listen more and speak less and he also had to drop habits that brought gloomy face to his wife such as coming home late after playing with darts with friends up to 11.00 pm or doing choir practice up to such late ours of the night.
He decided to buy a harp, guitar and a keyboard so as to keep him busy with praise and worship songs at the family alter while his wife Draleru spends most of her time talking to God in intercession prayers, leaving little room to accommodate fallouts in the relationship.
The couple has summarized their marriage escapade in a book titled “WHEN TWO SINNERS BECOME THE RIGHT PARTNERS FOR ONE ANOTHER” and an extension to the title was added by the retired Archbishop Dr. Henry Luke Orombi, “and they stopped sinning.”
The book richly filled with Biblical teachings on successful marriage, economic and social welfare of the family, stewardship and legacy building teaches tolerance, willful forgiveness and deepening understanding between couples from different family upbringing.
The book is available for Ugx. 30,000, but the lessons that one draws from this unique marital teaching far outweighs the value of the money that it sets one back in order to acquire one.
Among other things, Eng. Tiyo recounts that his wife washes his clothes personally (not subjecting them to be washed by maids or children). Right at the beginning of their marriage, he cautioned his wife to create a conducive environment for him at home so that his tendency would always be to return directly home from his workplace as opposed to him going out in to attempt to search for peace.
To create harmony among the children, their biological children and dependents always eat the same amount and quality of food at the same time and they always discipline their children jointly so that their children do not consider one parent to be a savior and the other one as a tormentor.
