The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has called for immediate arrest of politicians who allegedly promote Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sebei and Karamoja regions.
Kadaga made the directive last week while meeting leaders from the two regions, the Minister of Gender and UN agencies to find solutions to the persistent problem of FGM.
The Speaker said she had learnt that politicians are promoting the vice under the guise of preserving their culture.
“Can you tell me who those politicians are after this meeting? We must locate them and arrest them,”she fumed.
“I looked into the budget and found that every year there has been money that we have been sending through to the Ministry of Gender for the FGM campaign but I cannot trace the money. I have not seen any accountability; I don’t even know who has the money.”
Kadaga further stated that there are 10 sub-counties in Sebei where there is neither a primary nor secondary school and here people have nothing to do but to get married and “you cannot get married before you are circumcised”.
Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development Peace Mutuuzo concurred with the Speaker when she revealed that some people aspiring for political office in the 2021 elections were mobilizing and funding the FGM ceremonies.
”That political influence is largely associated with the sudden upsurge of the vice in Sebei region from 47 cases of females circumcised in December 2018 to 55 females in January 2019,” Mutuuzo revealed.
