Bunyoro king warns youth against early marriages
Omukama of Bunyoro Solomon Gafabusa Iguru waves to his subjects during the Hoima District Youth Health Day celebrations. Photo by Francis Mugerwa
What you need to know:
The king says children should be supported to stay in school, become mature and complete their education.
Hoima- The Omukama of Bunyoro Kingdom, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, has decried the increasing cases of early marriages among his subjects, saying it exposes them to sexually transmitted diseases.
While presiding over the Hoima District Youth Health Day celebrations on Wednesday, the Omukama said the youth should shun sexual immorality and avoid practices that may expose them to contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
He said the dreams and aspirations of young people will not be realised if they are unhealthy and die at a tender age, adding that children should be supported to stay in school, grow into maturity and complete their education.
The king asked the youth to uphold values that will enable them succeed in life.
“Have trust, integrity, work hard, be leaders, disciplined and patriotic,” he said. The kingdom education minister, Ms Harriet Businge, said the king had offered 30 scholarships to each sub-county in the kingdom to compliment government programmes by empowering youth with skills and knowledge.
Mr Jackson Checkweko, the executive director of Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), the organisers of the celebrations, said the organisation was providing counselling and reproductive health services to the youth.
Mr Checkweko said RHU was conducting health outreaches to offer HIV testing, care and support services to the youth, circumcision and screening for cervical cancer.
The HIV prevalence rate in Hoima is at 6.7 per cent and about 4.5 per cent in young people.
