Eight Primary School girls in Kabarole district have been married off by their parents. The girls, aged between 13 and 16 years were married off by their parents over the past three months. They were pupils at Mahyoro and Kibyo Primary School in Karangura Sub County.
Geoffrey Baluku, a parent to one of the girls says that he was forced to marry off his daughter because he needed capital to revive his shop that was gutted by fire last year. Mugisha says that when a man requested for his 15 year -old daughter for marriage, he didn’t hesitate. He was paid shillings million and three goats as bribe price.
Baluku also says that although he regrets her daughter not being in school, he hopes the man who married her will take her back to school. At Mahyoro Primary School, five girls were married off during the holidays and have never returned to the school. Three of the girls were in P5 while the others were in P6. Druscilar Biira, Head teacher Mahyoro primary school says that they got concerned and when they inquired about the whereabouts of the girls they were told that they had been married off.
Biira says that since then, there have been attempts to get back the girls to school in vain because of lack of cooperation from the parents. She says that when the school authorities summoned the parents of the five girls for a meeting, they didn’t attend.
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According to Biira, in a bid to prevent other girls from being married off at an early age, the school administration is carrying out sensitization for parents about the dangers of early marriages.
She says that on Wednesday each week, female teachers also talk to the girls because some parents may not have the time to talk to them.
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At Kibyo Primary School, two girls in P.6 were married off last month. Patrick Agaba, the head teacher says that when teachers went to the homes of the men who married the girls demanding that the girls return to school, the men threatened them with violence.
Kenneth Bajenja, Karungura sub county Community Development Officer blames both local leaders and parents being uncooperative and negligent. He says that whenever they are called to attend meetings to discuss the issue, they shun the meetings.
Bajenja also blames the local leaders for not enforcing a bylaw which was passed two years ago to curb the early marriages.
Bajenja says that some local leaders even attend the marriage ceremony. He says that with the establishment of a new police post, social workers in the sub county have resolved to arrest any parent who marries off their girls at an early age.
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