Many indigenous people and ethnic minority communities will continue suffering and struggling to access quality health care and education if the government doesn’t commit to supporting them.

Slyvia Kokunda, the executive Director Action for Batwa Empowerment Group (ABEG) said the government should adopt affirmative policies to uplift indigenous and ethnic minorities.

“The people in government always say they will work on improving the conditions of the Batwa. What we get are words, not real action. It is always very hard for us to compete with other people because of our background,” Kokunda said.

Minority ethnic communities and indigenous people are among the most marginalized in Uganda.

“We need financial assistance, food for children going to school and to end stigma,” she added.

According to Agnes Kabajuni, the MRG Africa Regional Manager, the government must commit to supporting the indigenous minority communities through the provision of quality health care, and education.

“The indigenous people want affirmative action in everything and we want to see government implementing this. They cannot be left alone because they are disadvantaged and always discriminated,” Kabajuni said.

Affirmative action is a series of policies that aim to increase the opportunities provided to underrepresented members of society.

“If we are to leave no one behind, we need to uplift the livelihoods of the Batwa and minority communities,” Kabajuni said.

She said this on Monday, October 25, during a media briefing on Universal Periodic Review (UPR) with a focus on the health and education of ethnic minorities and indigenous people in Uganda.

“The review is stock-taking on the recommendations committed to in 2016 and those on education and health, are indeed critical to these groups as they struggle for better social-economic status,” Kabajuni said.

Ahead of Uganda’s upcoming UPR in January, ethnic minorities in Uganda are asking the government to improve education and health care access to these communities.

Among the things that the government committed to improve in 2016 include, reducing maternal deaths, equipping and funding health facilities better.

Government is also committed to, tackling early marriage, low enrolment and constructing more schools in communities occupied by indigenous people.

“Uganda’s 2022 UPR review is critical to the status of ethnic minorities largely vulnerable to exclusion, discrimination and high-level poverty,” Kabajuni said.

Barbra Babweteera, the executive director Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) called for heavy investment in the education of indigenous and minority ethnic communities.

“There is a need to provide quality education and affirmative action to the lowest level of leadership. At least of the village, LC1 is from the majority let the minority be the vice or on the committee,” Babweteera said.

Some of the minority ethnic communities in Uganda include, the Batwa, Banyabindi, Basongora, Ik, Benet and Maragoli among others.

UPR is a peer review mechanism by the United Nations Human Rights Council in which states evaluate the performance of other states on each other’s human rights records