Minister blames police for raising cases of teenage pregnancies

Korean envoy to Uganda Mr Park Jong Dae, (L) and Ms Sarah Opendi, the state minister for health launch a two year campaign against teenage pregnancies and child marriages. Photo by Joseph Kato

KAMPALA. Police is to blame for the escalating cases of child marriages and teenage pregnancies, minister of state for primary health care Sarah Opendi has said.
Ms Opendi said their efforts to eradicate child marriages have on several occasions been frustrated by police officers who connive with culprits.
Citing an example of a girl who killed her father after he had defiled her and also fathered children from her elder sisters, Ms Opendi said there was need to streamline the implementation of laws against child marriage.

“The girl killed her father because she was fed up of being defiled. The police could release him without being taken to court. We receive such and similar complaints cases in upcountry. The police connive with defilement culprits,” Ms Opendi said.
She made the remarks at the launch of the five year campaign dubbed Better Life for Girls (BL4G) that is aimed at reducing cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancies in Uganda.
The minister cited Eastern Uganda as the region that stills grapples with high cases of teenage pregnancies and child marriages. She also accused the religious leaders and parents for discouraging the use of contraceptives yet adolescents are sexually active.

“We have been criticized for encouraging the use of condoms and contraceptives. But the question is how should we fight teenage pregnancies? Our young daughters and sons are sexually active,” she said.
The Korean envoy to Uganda, Mr Park Jong Dae, said his government has given $5m (about Shs18bn) to Uganda for eradicating issues of teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the next two and a half years.

According to him, the funds have been delivered through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) that will be coordinated through United Nations Population Fund in support of Uganda government.
“We call upon stakeholders to ensure effective utilization of these funds. The program must be a success. We should be united to end child marriages,” Mr Dae said.
At least 14 districts are to benefit from the program and these include Amuria, Bududa, Butaleja, Iganga, Kapchorwa, Katakwi, Mayuge, Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripiti, and Napaka.