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Ntoroko, Uganda | URN | Authorities in Ntoroko District have raised concern over the increasing cases of early marriages and teenage pregnancies warning that the trend is driving school dropout rates among young girls.
The concerns were highlighted during the belated Women’s Day celebrations held at Kanara Seed Secondary School playground in Kanara Sub county, where district officials, community members, and students gathered to discuss challenges affecting women and girls.
Ivan Busobozi the Acting Deputy Chief Administrative Officer noted that despite ongoing efforts to curb early marriages, the practice remains widespread in the district especially in Kanara subcounty.
He says Kanara is highly affected because it is a fishing community at the shores of Lake Albert. Busobozi notes that fishermen often lure young girls with money and end up marrying them or impregnating them.
Eddy Kabugho Buhungo, the Deputy LC5 Chairperson, attributed the vice partly to parental negligence noting that some parents fail to protect their children from exploitation.
She further highlighted that long-distance truck drivers operating around Kanara landing site are reportedly engaging in commercial sex with young girls, worsening the situation.
Kabugho also revealed that noted that in many cases, parents fear reporting early marriage cases and teenage pregnancies because they are familiar with the perpetrators and instead opt to settle the matter without involving the authorities.
According to Davis Kyomuhendo, the Senior Community Development Officer for Ntoroko District, teenage pregnancy rates in the district stand at 25%, slightly above the national average of 24%.
He added that Kanara Sub-county registers even higher rates at 34 percent, largely due to its status as a landing site where girls are more exposed to risky environments.
Kyomuhendo explained that such settings make young girls vulnerable to exploitation and early sexual activity.
He however encourages the parents and communities to always report these cases to authorities to easily curb the vice.
Patrick Kisekwa Ssonko the Resident District Commissioner revealed that his office handles numerous cases of early marriages. However, many of these cases collapse before conclusion due to informal settlements between families.
Ssonko explained that it is common for families of both the girl and the man to reconcile privately, leading to withdrawal of cases even when investigations are ongoing.
The RDC advises parents to guard their girl children very well and also take them to schools so that they can have a bright future.
Betty Busingye, a resident of the area blames high levels of poverty as a major driver of the problem.
According to Businge, some parents accept money or livestock from men responsible for impregnating their daughters, treating it as compensation rather than pursuing justice.
She warned that this practice perpetuates the cycle of early marriages in the community.
