Organisers of Elgon festival on the spot for parading half-naked teenage girls
Half-naked teenage girls being paraded at Mbale SS Grounds before they were made to march through the streets of Mbale City during Elgon Festival held at the weekend. PHOTOS/ YAHUDU KITUNZI
What you need to know:
- The police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga told this publication that if activists want the organisers of the event to be arrested, they should formally petition the IGP with evidence.
Women activists under their umbrella organisation, Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) have asked police to arrest organisers of Elgon Festival for undermining the dignity of a girl-child after they exhibited half-naked girls with protruding breasts as part of the activities.
The event, organised by the Masaba Tourism Initiative in partnership with Babana Basha and Mbale City Council, took place at Mbale SS Grounds in Mbale City over the weekend attracting backlash from a section of activists and cultural enthusiasts across the country after pictures and videos of teenage girls displaying their protruding breasts as they marched through Mbale City in eastern Uganda, went viral on social media.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, the women activists on Wednesday said the act undermined the dignity of a girl- child and women and that it was against the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
Ms Miria Matembe, one of the representatives of UWONET said it's absurd that leaders in the district allowed such a festival, which violated gender equality to take place.
"It is so absurd that leaders in Mbale City allowed this kind of behaviour to take place with young girls exposing their bodies. I don't know what happened to this country called Uganda," Ms Matembe said.
She appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Martin Okoth Ochola to intervene and arrest anybody who was part of the organisers of the event.
Other people accused of being behind the festival include the Resident District Commissioner (RCC), Mbale City, Mr Ahamad Washaki and officials of Mbale City.
Mr Eric Mukhwana, a resident of Mbale City, said it was unfortunate that Mr Washaki allowed the festival to go with due diligence.
“I'm informed that permission was granted by Mbale City RCC, Mr Washaki Ahamada, with caution that IYM-Inzu Ya Masaba should not be involved. And so it was,” he said.
Mr Mukhwana said the festival was an embarrassment to the culture of the Bamasaba community.
“Of course, this will either in the short run or long run damage our culture and it's high time for the disgruntled cultural institutions to wake up,” he said.
Ms Rebecca Neumbe, a woman leader in Mbale City, said what transpired demeans women’s dignity and that the organisers should be arrested and prosecuted.
“As women leaders, we are considering dragging the organisers to court for parading half-naked young girls in the streets in violation of their rights to privacy,” he said.
Ms Josephine Flavia Lunyolo, the industrial Division East councilor, said they were shocked to see young girls moving half naked and wondered if it was a new culture in Masaba land.
Mr Washaki, however, said as security, they okayed the festival after the organisers indicated that they were showcasing the culture of the Bamasaaba people.
“We were not aware that the festival would turn into a nude show,”he said, adding that security has summoned the organisers of the event to explain how such events unfolded in the city.
Mr James Kutosi, the Public Relations Officer, Mbale City, said permission was granted by the council on ground that it was a cultural parade of different cultures in Elgon Sub -region.“Permission was granted by Council but the details of the event were not availed,” he said.
Ms Priscila Khainza Mungoma, the proprietor of the Masaba Tourism Initiative and the lead organisers of the festival said the aim was to showcase the Bamasaaba culture, which she claimed was dying.
“The aim of the festival was to showcase the Bamasaaba culture which is dying. I was, however, surprised at how people sexualised the dress code,” she said.
In a statement issued June 14, 2022 Ms Khainza said what happened was only a reflection of the Bamasaba culture.
However, the police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga told this publication that if activists want the organisers of the event to be arrested, they should formally petition the IGP with evidence.
