Parliament select committee blames sexual violence rates on cultural practices

Agnes Tumuheire — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:44:17 +0000

Members of Parliament on the Select Committee investigating allegations of sexual violence in schools and institutions of learning have blamed blamed the rampant sexual harassment on the existent bad cultural practices.

The conclusion was made during one of their tours in Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts.

The committee was shocked to find that most girls are married off at the tender age of 10 which is against the Uganda laws.

Kioga County MP, Hon. Anthony Okello, stressed that bad cultural practices that are beyond the Uganda constitution have greatly contributed to sexual violence in learning institutions.

“The Constitution was promulgated in 1995 but 23 years later, cultural practices here seem to be stronger than what the constitution states,” he said.

Bukonjo County MP, Hon. Katusabe Godfrey, advised residents and leaders of Bundibugyo to adhere to the law of Uganda that states a person below 18 years is a minor and should not get married.

“We have realized that people here think that a girl above 10 years is mature enough to be married; this must stop immediately because it’s a total breach of the Constitution,” he said.

Katusabe called on parents to stop using cultural excuses which, he said “have been a road block to future doctors, teachers and leaders because children defiled or married off automatically drop out of school”.

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Uganda health officials continue to place Ebola treatment centers on the congo boarders

mugisa geofrey — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 09:35:23 +0000

Its Evident that the threat of Ebola has calmed down in the United States and West Africa in the last two years, the disease continues to ravage parts of the African continent and Uganda has opened two Ebola treatment centers along its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo to help combat it.

According to an official with the World Health Organization, two treatment units have been established in the western border districts of Kasese and Bundibugyo to respond to any deadly Ebola outbreak,

“Ebola Treatment Units are where patients can get the best care possible with access to rehydration methods and protection from infecting their family and community,” Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, Uganda’s WHO Representative said.

Woldemariam said the treatment units were fully equipped and ready to manage any Ebola cases in the East African country. Although there are no confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda, the country remains on high alert following an outbreak in the neighboring Congo.

Ebola is highly contagious and can cause a range of symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain and in many cases internal and external bleeding. The WHO says as of Aug. 21, there are 103 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC, with 61 deaths 32 were confirmed and 27 were probable.

Mortality rates of Ebola, according to WHO, are high, with the human case fatality rate ranging from 50 percent to 89 percent, depending on viral sub-type.

The current Congolese outbreak mirrors the 2014 West African outbreak that saw more than 11,000 deaths, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Liberia. There were also 11 cases of Ebola in the United States tied to the outbreak, including four deaths.

Bundibugyo - Uganda Multimedia News & Information

Parliament select committee blames sexual violence rates on cultural practices

Uganda health officials continue to place Ebola treatment centers on the congo boarders