Bahati critical of men who marry teenage girls

(Credit: Eddie Ssejjoba)

WORLD POPULATION DAY

KAMPALA - The state minister for planning and economic development, David Bahati (pictured) has attacked elderly men who have made it a habit to marry off girls below 18 years.

He says this trend has contributed to high teenage pregnancy and fertility rates among women.

"We are asking elderly men to stop engaging the young girls into early marriages. They should let the girls stay longer in school and delay production, which will help to reduce fertility in women," said Bahati.

He told journalists in Kampala the challenges the country is facing as she is set set to join the rest of the world to commemorate World Population Day on July 11. 

President Yoweri Museveni is expected to be the guest of honor at Madibira Primary School in Busia district on Tuesday, where the main national event will be held.

This year's theme is 'Strengthen Youth Competitiveness for Sustainable Development'.

'Matter of national concern'

The government has singled out high fertility rate, teenage pregnancy, high dependency on subsistence farming and low household hygiene as some of the critical areas it plans to invest more financial resources.

Bahati said the teenage pregnancy rate remains high at 25 percent, which means that one out of four teenage girls has had a baby before turning 19.

"This is a matter of national concern, but it is shameful to find an old man of 60 years with a girl of 12 years. This must stop."

The minister said that government is also concerned that fertility in women, at 5.8 births per woman, is still high.

To reduce fertility rates, he said government is focusing on girl child education by encouraging girls to remain longer in school, which he said would help delay their marriage.

"Government is concentrating on the education of the girl child because the longer they stay in school, the more they delay marriage. We also empower them so that they produce children by choice rather than by chance."

Government, according to Bahati, is also promoting family planning through telling couples to plan and practice child spacing. He said man and woman must be able to sit and plan together when they should have children.  

Poor hygiene 

Meanwhile, the state minister was also critical of people who do not wash their hands with soap after visiting the toilet, even where water is available.

He said it is unfortunate that 73 percent of Ugandans do not wash their hands with soap after visiting the toilet. As a result, government is spending a lot of money treating people with diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid and other diseases.

By next year, Uganda is expected to have as many as 40 million people, with at least 78 percent below the age of 30.

Bahati said the high youthful population is an asset to the country and that is why government is fighting to avail them with the necessary skills for employment, adding that a young population provides a young labor force, which can be an engine for industrial development and growth.

It is understood the government has put in place resources to support a number of programs intended to support women and the youth, including the Youth Livelihood Program, innovations and youth loans among others.

 "Government will continue to focus on harnessing the potential of young people through various programs. This is why this year's financial year budget is ‘Industrialization for job creation and shared prosperity'," he explained.