Incest, teen pregnancy cases worry Buliisa leaders

Buliisa: Leaders in Buliisa district are expressing concern over the rising cases of teenage pregnancies and incest within families, calling for immediate action to address these disturbing trends.

The district’s community development officer, Bernard Barugahara, revealed in an exclusive interview that his office has recorded six incest cases over the past two years, with two parents apprehended and currently serving sentences at Buliisa Government Prison.

Other cases have been difficult to investigate due to the loss of crucial evidence.

Barugahara stated that the majority of the incest cases were brought to light by community monitors, with support from his office and the police. The victims of these heinous acts are young girls aged between 15 and 18.

“We are working on exposing parents who engage in such acts, and we are empowering young girls to always report such cases,” Barugahara said, praising the role of community monitors in uncovering these abuses.

Bagire Rebecca, the district councillor representing Buliisa Town Council, also expressed their concern. She appealed to parents to refrain from exploiting their children for financial gain, particularly to pay for school fees or provide basic needs.

Bagire emphasized that such behavior goes against the traditions and values of the Gungu culture.

Fred Lukumu, the district chairman, condemned incest as a taboo in the community, linking the behavior to poverty. He suggested that cramped living conditions, where parents and children often share a single room, contribute to the problem.

Meanwhile, Fred Baligambaki, the district speaker, pointed to poor dressing among adolescent girls as a contributing factor to the rise in these incidents.

According to Bernard Wanok, the Community Liaisons Officer at Buliisa Central Police Station, many cases of incest and child defilement go unreported, or are reported only after weeks or even months, making investigations difficult.

He urged victims and their families to report such cases within 24 hours to enable swift investigations.

Teenage Pregnancies

In addition to incest, Buliisa is grappling with a significant rise in teenage pregnancies.

According to Barugahara, in the financial year 2023/24, the district recorded a high number of teenage mothers across various sub-counties and town councils.

Biiso Town Council and Sub County had 1,071 mothers, with 231 teenagers, Buliisa Sub County had 1,415 mothers, with 270 teenagers, Buliisa Town Council had 804 mothers, with 154 teenagers, Butiaba Sub County had 480 mothers, with 116 teenagers and Butiaba Town Council had 1,172 mothers, with 313 teenagers

Additionally, Kigwera Sub County and Wanseko Town Council had 722 mothers, with 167 teenagers, Kihungya Sub County had 480 mothers, with 134 teenagers and Ngwedo Sub County had 1,342 mothers, with 342 teenagers.

Barugahara attributed the increasing rates of teenage pregnancies to factors such as poverty, poor parenting, domestic violence, and inadequate access to reproductive health education.

Intervention

To combat this alarming trend, Buliisa district hosted the 7th Annual Mid-Western Region Girls Summit at the district headquarters on November 27, 2024.

The summit brought together leaders and stakeholders to discuss strategies to eliminate teenage pregnancies and early marriages.

Denis Kirya, the Executive Director of Shines Children’s Foundation, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He called on district leaders to take concrete action to address teenage pregnancy and marriage, noting that their foundation works to support young mothers who wish to return to school, offering educational sponsorships from primary to university level.

Kirya also urged civil society organizations (CSOs) to collaborate with local governments to fight these issues, despite funding challenges. “We may not be able to implement these projects without funding, but we need the commitment of the local leaders to tackle teenage pregnancy and marriage,” Kirya stated.

Norah Bigirwa Nyendwoha, the Buliisa District Woman MP, who presided over the summit, pointed to the role of poor parenting in exacerbating these issues.

She advised parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s movements, especially during the night, and to fulfill their role in providing for their children’s basic needs.

Bigirwa also blamed the rising rates of teenage pregnancies and early marriages on moral decay and neglect, particularly in rural areas where parents often leave their children in the care of absent fathers or relatives.

“Our mothers here go for gardening, leaving their children at home under the care of fathers who either return late or don’t sleep at home, exposing them to risks,” she explained.

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