By Aaron Ainomugisha,
apearlnews.com
Mbarara.
Leaders, activists, and other stakeholders in Mbarara city and district want authorities to intervene and jointly fight the escalating cases of Gender-Based Violence including young girls who have turned into barmaids and are being sexually harassed, amidst COVID-19 lockdown and curfew.
November & December 2021 investigations conducted by Rise News Uganda https://t.co/TYBDuJ55w3 supported by ULTIMATE media consult http://ultimatemultimediaconsult.com and the US Embassy in Uganda http://ug.usembassy.gov indicate that young girls (teenagers) who are barmaids are also sleeping with men, risking their lives and losing their future for ugx5000-20,000 in areas of Rubindi & Bwizibwera Mbarara district, Kiyanja, Kikoona, Ruti, Kijungu and other slums around Mbarara city.
“Most barmaids in this area can give you sex at ugx5000 and above. Some are young girls looking for old men. It hurts me as a parent,” eyewitness in Kiyanja.
Bars & hideouts where these illicit acts are happening include city bar, good life bar among other places in Rubindi, Honorable bar, Muyenga bar, and Omweiguru bar in Bwizibwera.
In Mbarara city, Kijungu, Ruti, and Kiyanja are the popular hotspots with over 20 small bars and hideouts operating in Kiyanja alone.
Others include Triple G guest house and steam lounge in Kijungu, all contrary to COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures-SOPs.
In an undercover interview with a 19-yr-old barmaid (name withheld), who accepted to offer sex for ugx5000 after paying for a lodge at Moon Light Bar in Kiyanja, she shockingly revealed that she was in s.3 at Ndekye Secondary School Rubirizi district and when schools closed, the owner of the bar brought her to give her a job in Mbarara, and she’ll go back to school when schools reopen.
Asked about possible teenage pregnancy, she disclosed that she uses family planning, at the age of 19.
“If you want me to sleep at your place for a week, you pay manager ugx10,000 every day I am off and you also pay me ugx5000,” she accepted.
In an undercover interview, Masereka Januario who’s the proprietor of Moon Light Bar confirmed that he has girls of different ages and is willing to give us on discount for three months.
As Uganda joined the rest of the world to mark 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM that ended on International Human Rights Day – 10th December 2021, Hon. Rita Atukwasa Bwahika who’s the Woman MP Mbarara city expressed concern over laxity among some parents who have neglected their parental responsibilities.
“What makes you happy makes another person happy and what inflicts pain on you inflicts pain on the other. Abuse is directed to a weaker person. We need to denounce this and bring to book those committing crimes,” Hon. Rita stressed.
According to Mbarara district community development officer Arthur Byaruhanga, the government needs more implementing partners to eliminate such cases. Between January-August 2020 and January-September 2021, Mbarara district registered a total of 1,363 & over 1200 teenage pregnancies respectively.
Similar cases and other forms of abuse/violence are happening in districts of Isingiro, Rwampara, Kiruhura, Kazo, Kasese, Ibanda, Greater Bushenyi districts, Lyantonde, and another area especially where perpetrators have taken advantage of the ‘’long’’ lockdown and curfew that have shattered different systems ahead of the expected full reopening of schools and the economy in January 2022.
