By KT Reporter
Authorities in Moroto District are grappling with persistent cases of child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), especially in the mountainous sub-counties of Tapac and Katikekile. Local leaders say the rugged terrain has made it extremely difficult to access remote villages, particularly Natumukale, which reportedly records the highest number of child marriages and FGM cases.
Kalisto Losike, the Community Development Officer for Tapac Sub-county, said efforts to curb the vices are being undermined by inaccessibility. Losike noted that some of the most affected families live on top of mountains with no access roads, making outreach and awareness campaigns nearly impossible. He added that FGM continues to be practiced in secrecy, as communities regard it as a rite of passage that prepares girls for marriage.
He stressed that girls as young as 12 years are mutilated and married off immediately after healing, as parents are eager to receive bride price in the form of cows. Losike said authorities are now trying to popularize the Anti-FGM Act, which prescribes penalties for offenders. He added that after some cutters were arrested and punished, many families began sneaking their daughters into Kenya to undergo the procedure before returning them for marriage.
Mike Longole, the Mt. Moroto Regional Police Spokesperson, confirmed that the practice still exists, though in a hidden form compared to the past. He explained that border communities in Tapac Sub-county and Amudat District often cross into Kenya to evade Ugandan law.
Longole said police operations have led to the arrest of several cutters, now serving prison sentences, which has helped reduce open cases of FGM. He revealed that police are now working on new strategies to tackle those crossing into Kenya to continue the practice.
Meanwhile, local leaders in Nadunget Town Council raised concerns over rising sexual abuse cases linked to casual workers at the ongoing cement and clinker factory construction site. The 1.1 trillion shillings project is being developed by West International Holding Limited, a subsidiary of China West Cement Limited, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (2233.HK).
The leaders allege that casual laborers at the site are exploiting young girls from surrounding communities, leading to teenage pregnancies, defilement, and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Mary Gorretti Longora, the Female District Councilor for Nadunget Town Council, said laborers are luring vulnerable girls into sex by offering incentives, and warned of rising cases of fatherless children in an already poverty-stricken community.
She further expressed concern that the situation could worsen the spread of urinary tract infections and other STIs if not addressed urgently.
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