The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has been honoured for her efforts towards ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Sebei region.
Sebei leaders led by the Minister of Water and Environment, Hon Sam Cheptoris Mangusho recognized Kadaga for not only advocating for the anti FGM law but also consistently attending their cultural day; a day of advocacy against FGM.
“This lady you see here; anything to do with Sebei gets her attention. In fact if it wasn’t for her, we would not have this road,” said Cheptoris.
Kadaga was on Friday, 19 January 2019, the chief guest at the closure of the 15th International Annual Christian Women Conference at Kabei S.S.S, Bukwo district where she re-affirmed her commitment towards ending FGM. She said, “it is now 20 years; every year I come to Sebei to tell people that it is not necessary to circumcise women and girls,” Kadaga said.
Kadaga was however, displeased that whereas Kapchorwa and Kween districts have registered progress in the fight against FGM, Bukwo is still lagging behind. “I was told that even this year, some women in Bukwo were circumcised,” Kadaga said.
She was equally irked with reports that despite the progress in Uganda, the communities on the Kenyan side have not yielded to the plea to end FMG, thus escalating the practice.
“I am told that when surgeons in Sebei lay down their knives, their counterparts in Kenya continue the practice and Ugandans go there,” she added.
The Speaker called on the Minister for East African Community Affairs to coordinate with Kenya and develop joint anti FGM programmes targeting communities that border Sebei.
Kadaga promised to follow up an earlier pledge by President Yoweri Museveni, to construct schools for girls who abandon FGM. She also promised to send the Parliamentary Committee on Education to visit schools in the Sebei region and update Parliament on the status of school going girls who abandon FGM.
