Kabale man held for allegedly infecting minor with HIV

By Innocent Anguyo

Police in Kabale Municipality are a holding a 43-year old man for allegedly defiling a nine-year old girl and infecting her with HIV/AIDS.

According to Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesman, Godfrey Rukiroru, a resident of Kigarama cell, Kijuguta ward, Kabale Municipality committed the offence in December 2013.

He reportedly seduced the girl from her home (in the neighborhood) and thereafter took her to a eucalyptus plantation where he had sexual intercourse with her.

“Recently, when the girl (victim) became sickly, she was taken to Kabale referral hospital on 29/01/14 and when they checked her HIV status, she was found to be positive.

The nurses also decided to test her parents to establish the source of the infection but found them to be negative,” narrated Maate.

Nevertheless, when the victim was being counseled, she revealed to the nurses that she had sexual intercourse with the accused.

“When she mentioned the accused’s name they (nurses) realized that he was an ART (Anti-retroviral Therapy) clinic client, already enrolled on drugs,” said Maate.

This prompted the nurses to report the case to Kabale police station. On January 30 2014, the police swung into action and arrested the suspect.

On completion of inquiries into the case, Rukiroru will be arraigned in court on the charge of aggravated defilement, police has revealed.

“It’s very unfortunate to have such inhuman and malicious people in the society, that's why he must be brought to book,” Maate said.

THE HIV Prevention and Control Bill in Cabinet

In 2010, THE HIV Prevention and Control Bill was presented to Parliament with measures to curb the spread of the disease.

The Bill (current version) drafted by the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, criminalizes the intentional spread of the disease.
The Cabinet is currently scrutinizing the Bill before it returns to Parliament to be eventually passed.

However, the Bill has come under sheer criticism from human rights activists and civil society organizations who argue that some of the clauses, especially the one that calls for mandatory testing is a violation of human rights.