Deputy Speaker Tayebwa Blocks Plan For Contraceptives For Girls As Young As 15

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Thomas Tayebwa, stopped a new plan made by Health Ministry officials. This plan wanted to let girls as young as 15 use condoms, implants, birth control pills, and other ways to plan when to have a family.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the Deputy Speaker, who led the House, strongly opposed this plan. Ms. Lucy Akello, a Member of Parliament, had brought up the issue based on media reports. She questioned the idea of allowing contraceptives for 15-year-old girls.

The Deputy Speaker warned that allowing birth control for young girls in Uganda would be like accepting sexual harm and would go against our belief in God. He said, “We don’t want these thoughts to become real. It’s not right.”

He added, “Allowing this is like saying it’s okay to harm young ones. We shouldn’t allow it. We should work harder to stop this problem, not make it legal. I’m glad this plan isn’t official yet.”

In another talk, Mr. Tayebwa advised the government to stop the plan for birth control. He said, “Our country’s future depends on how safe our children are now. We must protect them from harm. As a nation that believes in God, it’s our duty.”

Ms. Akello asked the Ministry of Health if the legal age for consent in Uganda is now 15 instead of 18. She also asked if the government is no longer worried about HIV and what contraceptives can do to young bodies.

The State Minister for Primary Health, Margaret Muhanga, had a hard time explaining where this plan came from. She clarified that what the media reported wasn’t entirely correct. She denied that the policy was approved.

“We have many young girls getting pregnant. Everyone knows these girls are young and being forced into marriage. So, someone asked if we should let them use family planning at 15. It was just a question, not a policy yet,” Minister Muhanga explained.