“Young people must wait before engaging in sexual activity. The optimal age for starting a family is between 22 and 23 years. Waiting until this age to engage in sexual activity could lead to a more satisfying and healthy sex life that extends to the age of 90,” said President Museveni
Young adults in Uganda are increasingly delaying marriage, with the median age at first marital union now at 25 years for men, according to government estimates.
This trend mirrors a global pattern where young people are waiting until their late 20s or early 30s to marry.
Factors such as career development, financial independence, and the normalization of premarital sex contribute to this delay.
Presidential Encouragement and Public Response
During the family festival in Kampala on Saturday, President Museveni urged young people engaging in premarital sex to consider marriage.
“When you finish your education, I encourage young people to get married; 22, 23 [years] there, the time has come [for you to get married]. Then you can get your family,” he said, drawing cheers from the congregation.
He emphasized that early marriage allows for a longer married life and warned against premarital sex due to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
Shifts in Marital Patterns
The Uganda Demographic and Health Survey reports from 1995 and 2022 show that the average age at first marriage for women increased from 17 to 19 years, with highly educated women marrying at around 25 years in 2022.
Despite this shift, 14 percent of girls have engaged in sexual activity by age 15.
The percentage of never-married women aged 15-49 rose from 15.7 percent in 1995 to 25 percent in 2022, with financial independence being a significant factor.
Government’s Stand on Homosexuality
President Museveni reiterated the government’s stance against homosexuality, stating it contradicts African values.
“We are very firmly behind the family as a base of society. Those who are preaching the other line are definitely not right. We know about homosexuals and lesbians,” he said.
Global Praise and Cultural Emphasis
Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, applauded Uganda for upholding family values during his keynote address at the festival.
“I was told that here in Africa, you have recognized that marriage is between a man and woman, that is co-creating with God. That is the universal truth. We need to start a movement that sanctifies and glorifies the ideal of marriage, the ideal of family,” he said.
The Impact of Globalization on Family Cultures
First Lady Janet Museveni highlighted the impact of globalization on family cultures in Africa and urged religious and cultural leaders to promote positive cultural and religious values.
“I believe that through unity and oneness of purpose, Ugandans from every sphere of society can work together to reposition and redeem our rich African culture for the benefit of the younger generation,” she said.
Calls for Anti-Corruption Measures
Archbishop Leronymos Muzeeyi of the Orthodox Church in Uganda called on the government to recover ill-gotten wealth.
“We call upon the government to seriously think about implementing lifestyle audits of both private and public officials and enforce recovery of ill-gotten wealth. It is our belief that this will reduce corruption and make the government improve public service delivery,” he said.
Environmental Protection Efforts
Religious leaders also called on the public to protect the environment, announcing plans to plant 250 million trees within 15 years.
However, they stressed that efforts to restore nature, such as evictions in wetlands, should be conducted humanely to reduce family suffering.
“We call upon all Ugandans to embrace environmental protection and conservation and where Ugandans have fallen short, just like it has happened in the wetlands, we ask the law enforcers like the National Environment Management Authority to be humane as they restore those areas, particularly when they are evicting families,” the archbishop added.
