“The Children who got pregnant, we are going to discuss with the Bishops and other religious leaders. We shall find a solution for them. There are some arguments, should the child go to school with visible pregnancy? That one I will discuss with Cabinet first and other people,” Museveni said in part.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni intends to engage religious leaders and the Cabinet on the fate of child mothers and pregnant learners.
He disclosed the 36th
National Resistance Movement (NRM) anniversary
celebration at Kololo Independence Grounds on Wednesday under the
theme “Celebrating the 36th NRM Victory Day: A call to duty for all compatriots
to contribute towards Uganda’s socio-economic transformation journey”.
In his address, Museveni noted the ongoing
debate on whether pregnant learners should be allowed to report back to school
or not.
“The Children who got
pregnant, we are going to discuss with the Bishops and other religious leaders.
We shall find a solution for them. There are some arguments, should the child
go to school with visible pregnancy? That one I will discuss with Cabinet first
and other people,” Museveni said in part.
He
added that the cabinet will also discuss
other aspects like how to handle breastfeeding learners.
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Museveni’s remarks come a few after Bishop
James Ssebagala of Mukono Diocese directed teachers in Church of Uganda-founded
schools to block pregnant or breastfeeding girls from their institutions. The
Bishop said that although it is good for parents to support girls who are pregnant,
it was not morally upright to allow them to sit in class with other children.
However, the Ministry of Education and Sports
insists that
it is a government directive that all children should return to school whether pregnant or breastfeeding. Schools officially re-opened fully on January 10th,
2022 after a two–year lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2021, the Vice President, Jessica Alupo presented a status report to parliament on teenage pregnancy in the country. The report showed that 354,736 teenage pregnancies
were registered in 2020 while 295,219 teenage pregnancies were registered
between January to early September 2021.
Museveni also criticized international media agencies as unserious and only focusing on
Ugandan girls getting pregnant during the lockdown. “When they talk about the lockdown they
say…girls got pregnant in lockdown. That’s all they are talking about. Being
pregnant is not dying; you fellows…Aljazeera, BBC…please. Can you not understand
that a young girl being pregnant is a complication but not dying,” Museveni said.
President said that Uganda succeeded in ensuring
that many people do not die due to COVID-19 like other countries and that this is
commendable.
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He commended Ugandans for adhering to the set Standard
Operating Procedures- SOPs for the past two years during the lockdown, saying that this has helped the country fight
coronavirus well.
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50 Awarded Medals
At the event, 50 people received the Golden Jubilee (29), Luwero
Triangle (4), Nalubaale medal (1), and Special Service medal (16). The Golden Jubilee medal or Independence medal is
awarded to people for their outstanding service and loyalty to the country
since independence.
On the other hand, the Luwero Triangle medal is awarded to officers who joined
armed struggles and to civilians who worked closely with armed freedom fighters
while the Nalubaale Medal s given to those who contributed to the country’s
political development.
The Special Service medal is
awarded to police officers of the reserve force and special constables for
distinguished service. Some of those awarded the Golden Jubilee
medal are medical doctors, academicians, sportsmen, and others.
Some of those awarded this medal are Prof. Monica Chibita, the dean of the
Faculty of Journalism, Media, and Communication at Uganda Christian
University-UCU, Prof. Patrick Ogwang, the brain behind Covidex herbal medicine
that helps in the treatment of COVID-19, Dr. Joseph
Epodoi, and a team of doctors from Soroti hospital who last year helped separate
conjoined twins.
Also awarded are athletes Peruth Chemutai and Jacob Kiplimo among others. Names of those awarded medals were
read out by Maj. Gen. George Igumba, as approved by the Presidential Awards
Committee that started work in 2008.
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Haji Isa Mbago, was the only awardee for the Nalubaale Medal, while Maj. Saad
Katongole, Lt. Godfrey Kyofuna, Lt. Musa Kyeyune and
Sgt. Nyakato Grace received the Luweero triangle
medal.
Only 547 dignitaries were invited to the 36th
National Resistance Movement (NRM) liberation day celebration by the National
Organizing Committee in adherence to the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures- SOPs.
