Uganda: Churches Team Up in Child-Marriage fight

KAMULI
The Speaker of Parliament has urged the church to come up with programmes to contain child marriages and poor parenting values.
Opening Namwendwa International Christian Church in Kamuli over the weekend, Kadaga decried the rampant child marriages, defilement and child abuse cases, saying a revolution to revive traditional and religious pastoral values should be opened.
“Do more work to change the society and get back to the old traditional parenting systems. Teach moral and spiritual values and ensure you empower your flock to protect the children and fight poverty,” Ms Kadaga said.
Ms Kadaga faulted the community for looking on and being part of the perpetuators of the vices asking “Who and where are the neighbours and local leaders when a young girl is given away? Who are those looking on as a child lives as a wife and life goes on?”
She called for use of available structures such as Local Council leaders, parents, religious and cultural leaders to monitor and track child-marriage and also ensure the perpetuators are brought to book.
Bishop Elijah Sebuchu and Pastor David Hacker from USA, in response, said child marriage is immorality and modern slavery equal to child trafficking and kidnap since the girl-child has no authority over herself when forced into the marriage.

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