The State Minister for National Guidance, Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku has said that the level of immorality in Uganda is too high whether Nyege-Nyege takes place or not.
The Minister who was reacting to Parliament’s decision to stop the annual festival, said that Parliament and other leaders in Uganda should not focus much on Nyege-Nyege because it’s a one-off event yet there are many Ugandans who are always practicing immorality both in public and private.
“If you talk about issues of immorality, moral decadence, right now millions of Ugandans are watching pornography, others are busy in bars. Some people have porn videos in their phones. Therefore, if it’s the issue of morals we need to go way back on the national guidance and promote culture and morals. Banning Nyege-nyege won’t help nor will it stop that young man watching porn videos now,” Hon. Kabbyanga said during the consultation workshop with stakeholders on National Guidance Policy on Wednesday.
“Yes, there might be some immorality aspects but Nyege-Nyege is a one-off which can be regulated and achieve both decency and business with proper guidelines. There are so many aspects which can be used to reduce moral decay such as the National Guidance Policy. We have to tell our people what our culture wants and hates. Nyege-Nyege is a one-off event. we need not spend much time on it.”
On Tuesday, Parliament ordered the cancellation of Nyege-Nyege, a controversial festival over numerous concerns about the promotion of immorality and issues to do with homosexuality.
On the same day, the district Woman MP for Tororo, Hon. Sarah Opendi alluded that the event which goes on both day and night for three days breeds immorality including recruitment and promotion of homosexuality.
“What is the government’s position on this growing immorality in this country, and it is going to attract all kinds of people all over the world, bringing all kinds of activities that are non-African, non-Ugandan into our communities?” Opendi questioned.
In the same spirit, the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and other members called for its cancellation, however, the executive leadership through the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja promised the organizers that the event will take place however under tight guidelines.
The festival is scheduled for Thursday, 15 September 2022 for three days at the Source of the Nile in Jinja district.
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