Kasese
boss threaten to arrest husbands to pregnant Teenager.
By
MORIS MUMBERE
E-society
KASESE: The
Kasese district chairperson five has threatened to arrest husbands to the
teenagers following the increasing early marriages in the district which has
increased the number of female dropouts in the district.
Basing on the Research
gathered in the district indicate that, teenage pregnancy is reported to be on
increase especially in Kitswamba sub-county, Busongora north in Kasese district
which leaders suspect to have been caused dues to much freedom rendered to the
male youth which urge them to marry at an early stage.
“The youth in this
district have much freedom since their parents have failed to talk to them and
direct them in the right way which could enable them see a bright fight not
looking at marriage as the only way of achieving in life, by arresting husbands
the rest will learn and fear to engage in such useless early marriage issues” Sibendire
bigogo the district boss threatened.
During several
abrupt visits to Kitswamba Health Center III in Busongora North constituency,
the district leaders were shocked by the big number of teenagers who had
thronged the facility for antenatal care.
Kasese
District Chairperson Sibendire Bigogo Geoffrey Thembo had subsequently criticized the high rate of early pregnancy
in the area and called for an immediate sensitization of the people, especially
the men in the area.
Bigogo told monitor reporters that
he was shocked to find out that girls of between 14 to 16 years were having
three or more children.
“I guess these girls were actually
defiled” According to Bigogo,.
In Uganda, 24% of
all female teenagers are either pregnant or have given birth already.
Uganda also has
the one of the world’s highest fertility rate, with the annual growth rate of
3.5% per annum.
Bridget Biira 18 years and a
mother of three children said that she was defiled at the age of 16 while she
was in primary six.
A midwife at the facility
told our reporter that, at least 15 young girls are received daily for
antenatal care.
A section of residents
attributed the problem to scarcity of water which they said forces many
children to trek long distances in search of water.
Swaibu Mujungu, a teacher at
Kitswamba SDA primary school said that young girls in the area were being
waylaid by people luring them into immature relationships.
However, Yusuf Mugoba blamed
his fellow parents for their alleged failure to monitor their children’s
movements.
Simion Kisarali and his wife
Grace Biira who were met at the facility for antenatal care urged teenagers to
always go with their husbands whenever they attend antenatal care.
According to United Nations,
each
year roughly 7.3 million girls give birth when they are below the age of 18,
and two million of those are younger.
The rate
of pregnancies in adolescent girls has started to fall in many developing
countries but remains a stubborn problem that damages girls' health and hinders
economic productivity.
END.
