THE just-released Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) report 2009 made shocking revelations on how women in Ntungamo district are jailed over failure of their husbands to pay off loans!
Most of the loans are from private money lenders who charge very high interest, making it difficult for the borrower to pay back. The borrowers, mostly men, upon failing to pay the loan, go into hiding. The wives, who witness the securing of the loans, are arrested, charged and remanded on offences of securing money by false pretence!
This is wrong and drastically abuses their rights. That is why the UHRC attributed the detention of women for loans to ignorance of the law and their rights. Therefore this calls for the women rights activists like Miria Matembe and others to come up and save these women from paying for their husbands’ offences.
The men should invest the money in quick earning businesses and projects. For example goat, pig and, chicken raring which can make profits in a short period of time in order to meet the deadline of paying back the loan. If these men used simple common sense they would pay off the loans without having to go into hiding and leaving their wives to face the music.
They should be sensitised before taking the loans. Refusing to pay the loans and going into hiding is not a wise option. It is actually the worst and easiest way of going to prison and having one’s properties confiscated. There are also many other ugly consequences.
However, women should always advise their husbands on how to use the money they borrow and when to pay back the loans before they accept to be witnesses. This would ensure the money is not diverted to unplanned projects.
It is unacceptable to arrest wives for their husbands’ debts
