Kadaga asks Museveni to explain unfulfilled pledge on sanitary pads

President Museveni has been tasked to explain his unmet pledge of free sanitary pads for school-going children.
The directive was issued by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga during a House sitting yesterday.
In 2016, Mr Museveni pledged to give free sanitary towels to school girls as a measure to curb school dropout rates.
“Honourable members you may recall that the President pledged to supply to the children of schools, free sanitary pads, I think we need an answer. Is he going to supply or not?” Ms Kadaga said.
The Speaker’s directive was prompted by Kasese Municipality MP Robert Centenary (FDC) and Dokolo District Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal (FDC), who raised issues of quality education, which they said was low, especially among girls.
The lawmakers said the major problem stems from poor management of menstrual health.

Trigger
The legislators were also reacting to a statement on the commemoration of the International Youth Day slated for August 12 at St Gonzaga Primary School Kagoma, Jinja.
“I will put my emphasis on the quality of education and with specific reference to menstrual health for the girl-child whose ability to continue with education has been stifled by lack of sanitary pads, which I know the President pledged to offer to children,” Mr Centenary said.
Mr Centenery told Ms Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, who had presented the statement on youth day, to remind the President to plan better for the children.
“I would like to implore the minister who is also female, that when you are planning for this young population, kindly remind our Head of State that these children are suffering especially in the rural areas,” Mr Centenary said.

Other issues
Ms Ogwal said she was upset by the minister’s [Kiyingi] statement which she said fell short on policies to improve education, general welfare and employment of the youth, including the girl-child education.
“Can you tell us where we have come from in the last 5 to 10 years? Where have we improved on the girl-child education?” Ms Ogwal said.
The legislator added: “I was so envious to see the President of Kenya, lifting the pen and putting it down to sign for free distribution of sanitary pads.”
She said everyone is concerned with dropout rates of the girl-child and yet the ministry of Education with female ministers cannot take care of the issue.
The Speaker tasked Ms Esther Mbayo, the Minister for Presidency, to get answers and report to Parliament, “to explain to us what happened to that pledge, it was a public pledge.”
The International Youth Day will be commemorated under the theme “Transforming Education,” with Uganda having its national theme as “Transforming Education for responsible citizenship and employment creation.”
Ms Nakiwala said the celebrations provide an opportunity for Uganda to take note of what has been done and what remains undone in positioning young people to play a critical role in the social economic, and political transformation of the country.

Statistics

More than five million Ugandan children of school-going age have dropped out of primary school before P7 in the past 20 years. This is according to an analysis of figures from assessment body Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) and Education and Sports Sector Annual Performance Reports (ESSAPRs).