KAMPALA, Uganda — The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, has sounded the alarm on the rising cases of early marriages and teenage pregnancies in Uganda.
Speaking through Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, who represented her at a function at Lutamaguzi Memorial High School in Kyankwanzi District, Museveni emphasized the importance of education in shaping the future of girls.
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“Thousands of girls worldwide face gender discrimination simply because they were born female,” Museveni said. “In Uganda, at least 35% of girls drop out of school due to early marriage.”
Museveni’s ministry conducted a study in 2015, which revealed that 22.3% of school dropouts in Uganda are due to pregnancy among girls aged 14-18. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the issue, with 358,000 teenage pregnancies recorded during the lockdown.
The First Lady’s message comes as the government launches efforts to skill the girl child through 22 skilling centers across the country. Museveni called for collective efforts to safeguard children and promote development through education, mentoring, and empowerment.
“Education prevents all consequences of child marriage,” Museveni stressed. “When girls receive education, they contribute to economic growth, not just for their families, but for the country as a whole.”
Museveni also emphasized the need to care for the boy child, citing an increase in boys with low self-esteem who have turned to violent lifestyles.
Lutamaguzi Memorial High School partnered with Harambee Cooperative Group to organize a run promoting girls’ education. The event’s organizer, Joshua Katamba Lutamaguzi, appealed for government support to establish a skilling center at the school.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Perusi Kabale, thanked the First Lady for fighting for equity and quality education.
The event concluded with the lands minister commissioning a team to mobilize communities to keep girls in school, and handing over a Shs10 million contribution to the event’s organizer on behalf of the First Lady.
