'Male relatives taking advantage of young girls'

Majority of young girls are raped by their relatives and this has led to increased cases of teenage pregnancies, the wife to retired Bishop of the church of Uganda, Allen Balagadde Sekadde has disclosed.

Balagadde who is also the patron of Wamukisa Youth Centre, an organisation which looks after teenage mothers and their babies, said majority of the parents have abandoned their children for money than the life of their children.

Speaking while receiving a donation of food items from DSW a German based organisation, Balagadde said majority of relatives take advantage of the girls and rape them. She added that, other parents who are rich give their daughters too much money and do not follow up how the children spend the money.

"Most of the parents leave their homes very early in the morning for work and come back in the evening. In the night they go for prayers leaving their children with their uncles and other relatives  who end up raping them," she said.

"Young girls and adolescents need guidance and counselling. Parents should give their children more attention than other things and should make their timetable accordingly."

In Uganda more than 70 percent of the population is of young people and half of these are girls. The rate of teenage pregnancy in Uganda is 24%, according to the Uganda demographic and health survey of 2011.