BRIEF: Promoters Nakaweesi Kimbugwe, Aciro and Nkuuhe just before meeting the council

By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
THE Media Council has stopped the controversial play, The Vagina Monologues, that was due on stage in Kampala on Saturday.

Sarah Mukasa, one of the organisers, said late last evening that the council chief, Fr. John Mary Waliggo, had said the play would not be staged and a formal communication to that effect would be issued today.

Mukasa said they would contact their lawyers over the matter.
Earlier, state minister for ethics and integrity Tim Lwanga said he would brief the Cabinet on the play today.

State minister for information Nsaba Buturo had said the fate of the play would be determined by the Media Council. “The Minister for Ethics and Integrity will brief the Cabinet about the play because of the public outcry. But the Media Council has been asked to make a decision on the play,” he said.

The organisers yesterday presented to the council a script of the play and the background of the playwright, Eve Ensler.

The four representatives from the Non-Governmental Organisations promoting the play in Uganda held a three-hour meeting with the council board members at Radio Uganda.
The representatives were Solome Nakaweesi Kimbugwe of Uganda Women’s Network, Sarah Mukasa of Akina Mama wa Afrika, Jessica Nkuuhe of ISIS-WICCE, Amanda Sserumaga of ActionAid and Rita Aciro.

Sources said the council had to read the entire script and examine the content.

Mukasa said after the meeting, “Nobody should deny Ugandans a chance to listen to the testimonies of violence against women simply because of the word vagina. This word is in our biology books. Are we going to delete it?”
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