📷 Female ministers blamed for govt failure to provide free sanitary towels

Mar 30, 2024

According to the minister, female cabinet ministers serving in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) should take the blame and accept their laxity in creating a policy to provide free towels to girls.

Justine Kasule Lumumba (R), minister in the Office of the Prime in charge of general duties, and David Bahati,(seated left), the state minister for industry interact with Theresa Matovu aka Auntie Treasure (seated) formerly working with the UTV, who was recognized by an organisation, 'Because of Her' for her role to promote fellow women. Standing (C) is Brig. Gen. Charity Bainababo, the deputy commander of the Special Force Command (SFC) also recognized, Portia Uwera (third standing left) and Keisha Kenyangi, the founders of the organization. This was at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on March 26, 2024. (Credit: Eddie Ssejjoba)

Eddie Ssejjoba

Journalist @New Vision

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KAMPALA - The Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (General Duties), Justine Kasule Lumumba, has challenged female colleagues in the Cabinet for failure to push the Government to provide free sanitary towels to schoolgirls.

According to the minister, female cabinet ministers serving in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) should take the blame and accept their laxity in creating a policy to provide free towels to girls.

She said in the 2021-2026 party manifesto, the Government promised to deliver sanitary towels to girls, which she said had not yet been fulfilled but instead, the Government was providing free condoms, and some placed in toilets, which she said should be changed.

Justine Kasule Lumumba, the minister in the Office of the Prime in charge of general duties with the twins, Portia Uwera and Keisha Kenyangi, who started the organization, ‘Because of Her’ Uganda, which collects and profiles achievements of Ugandan women who have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for women. This was at the launch of the third exhibition at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, on March 26, 2024. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

She says, “I come from the remotest village in Busoga region, but sanitary towels are a big issue, yet in the NRM manifesto we promised to provide them, but we have not done so yet we make sure there are free condoms in all toilets.”

“I want to urge you my colleagues in parliament and in the cabinet, let us educate our people to leave the issues to do with where people have to go for condoms because those are adults and they already know and can purchase them, let us go for the sanitary towels because the girls are so young and even don’t know what to do”, she explained, adding that sanitary towels are not even available on sale in some of the villages, yet condoms are sold everywhere.

The minister was last week speaking at the commissioning and exhibited profiles of 21 Ugandan female personalities and three historical stories about women who have contributed to the promotion of fellow women's issues in the country.

Lumumba and David Bahati, state minister for industry interact with Theresa Matovu aka Auntie Treasure (seated) formerly working with the UTV who was recognized by 'Because of Her' for her role in promoting fellow women. Centre Brig. Gen. Charity Bainababo, the deputy commander of Special Forces Command (SFC), who was also recognized, and Portia Uwera (second left), one of the founders of the organization. This was at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on March 26, 2024.

The project is spearheaded by twin sisters, Portia Uwera and Keisha Kenyangi under their organization, ‘Because of Her’ Uganda, which collects and profiles the achievements of Ugandan women who have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for women in Uganda and the general society at large.

The twins, sponsored by David Bahati, the state minister for industry, and other stakeholders started the project following their concern that the contributions and works of women are often left undocumented in history.

They say that stories about women and their wealth of knowledge remained untapped and kept out of the public stage. They now target profiling their contributions and make use of art and other creative tools to combat what they termed as the ‘erasure’ of women and girls from the Ugandan story.

Lumumba said female cabinet ministers serving in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) should take the blame and accept their laxity in creating a policy to provide free towels to girls.

This is the third year of their project and this time, they profiled 21 women, living and dead, whose profiles are displayed at the Uganda Museum.

At a function held at Sheraton Hotel, the twins read out to the guests, some of the women who have received little attention in the media but with rich history.

They included Theresa Matovu aka Auntie Treasure who worked at the defunct Uganda Television and became the first woman Ugandan television producer.

The first woman Ugandan television producer, Theresa Matovu aka Auntie Treasure was among those recognised.

Others are former prosecutor, the late Joan Kagezi, the late Cecilia Atim Ogwal, former district woman MP Dokolo, Queen Muhumuza from Kigezi, the late Ivon Namaganda, a former pupil of Budo Junior School, Clara Catherine Nalumansi, an elder sister of Kabaka Mwanga, who was killed as a martyr, Prudence Ukkonika, a prominent businesswoman and the proprietor of Bella Wine, Brig. Gen. Charity Bainebabo, the deputy commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC) the late Rebecca Muliira, mother to former minister Dr Ham-Mukasa Mulira, Patience Poni a young activist from Koboko, Sarah Baagalariwo, Rodha Kalema, Joyce Mpanga, among others.

The minister who said sanitary towels were a big component in the life of a young girl, explained that she takes responsibility for the failure because she was part of the team that has not yet implemented the Manifesto, yet they comprise over 40% of the Government.

Minister David Bahati remarks.

“We have not put our foot down to make sure we look at this young girl, so we all take responsibility, and we are all guilty as women in cabinet because that is the beginning of everything,” she explained, adding that they own up and pledged to find a solution to the problem.

“The dilemma is that we have religiously provided condoms although they are not contributing to the decrease to HIV, so if it has not provided a solution, then let us go for the innocent who don’t know and provide them with the towels,” she said, adding that without them, ‘that girl will never have self-esteem.

The minister urged the society to invest in women, saying the returns were always immense.

Brig. Gen. Charity Bainababo, the deputy commander of Special Forces Command (SFC) remarks.

She said the senior women in the NRM government have not done enough to ensure the government implemented the 30% contracts going to women and the youth but challenged them to ensure the interests of women and the space of women are not eaten up by the men.

she pledged to link the twins to the gender ministry to incorporate their projects into their programs for possible funding.

Bahati said they hoped this organization would inspire the girl child to contribute positively to their country. “The government is trying to assist girls and creating an environment for all to become what they desire,” he said.

Bellow is a highlight of pictures from the function, all by Vision Group's multimedia journalist Eddie Ssejjoba;

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Twin sisters Portia Uwera and Keisha Kenyangi, and founders of the organization, ‘Because of Her’ Uganda.