KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Minister of State for Gender and Culture Affairs, Peace Regis Mutuuzo has directed the Inspector General of Police to institute an inquiry into the matter with a view of “bringing the perpetrators to book.
The Elgon Festival which was organised by the Masaba Tourism Initiative in partnership with Babana Basha and Mbale City Council took place over the weekend of June 10-11th 2022 at Mbale SS Grounds in Mbale City.
Despite the organizers emphasizing that it was a cultural-themed gala, the event gained public criticism for undermining the dignity of a girl-child after videos of teenage girls displaying their protruding breasts as they marched through the city went viral on social media.
Now the minister has in a press statement dated 17th June 2022 described the act of parading half-naked teenage girls on the streets of Mbale City in the name of culture as unlawful and degrading which calls for imminent Prosecution and possible Imprisonment of seven years.
READ: Organizers of Elgon festival face arrest for parading half-naked girls during gala
“Ministry initially obtained information about the event through various social media platforms which later was verified that girls and women were paraded and participated in a dance procession through the streets of Mbale city while dressed in skimpy attire with bare chests. I wish to reiterate our firm commitment as a government to continue protecting the rights of women and girls as enriched in Uganda’s progressive legal and policy frameworks,” Mutuuzo said.
“The Ministry is working through the department of community-based services in Mbale to ensure that the victims will be followed up for psychosocial support and referral to other services where required,” she added.
Mutuuzo quoted that the organizers broke the 1995 Constitution of Uganda and the Children’s Amendment Act 2016 Section 7(1). “The Act states that a person shall not expose a child to any customary or cultural practice that is harmful to his or her health, wellbeing, education or social economic development.”
She further emphasized that some activities in the cultural festival were unlawful, degrading, and reckless actions that do not represent the country’s transformation of cultures and positive social norms that are cherished with respect by all citizens including women and girls.
“In the same Section, Sub section (2) delineates harmful customary or cultural practice to mean; any activity that is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful to a child and includes an activity that interferes with a child’s education and social development.”
Sub Section 3 states that a person who Contravenes the sub sections above commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 7 years or a fine not exceeding 168 currency points.
The Minister also quoted the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act 2011 Section 14 which provides that “A traditional or Cultural Leaders or Institution shall not practice any custom, culture usage or tradition that detracts from the rights of any person as guaranteed under the construction or any law.
“In view of the above, the government, therefore, wishes to inform the general public that some of the activities of this Cultural Festival are best described as unlawful, degrading, and reckless,” Mutuuzo said.
The minister’s statement come days after the purported organizers of the said event came out and publicly apologized following the public pressure both locally and nationally
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