The chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Med Kaggwa, has expressed fear over the increased cases of defilement, forced and early child marriages in the Rwenzori sub region.
Speaking to the media in Fort Portal, Kaggwa noted that the failure to get justice from court had compelled people to resort to mob justice.
During an interface with the people of Ruwenzori region, He says issues like forced marriage, early marriage, theft among other are very common in the region.
“Some of the things we got from this region, issues like early and forced marriage, they worry us a lot and something must be done,” he said.
He stressed that its criminal to force someone to marry before the age of 18 years.
“Under our laws the age of maturity is 18 but below will be aggravated defilement. So we get concerned when we start hearing issues of early and forced marriages,” he noted.
On theft and land grabbing in the sub region, he advised that people need to be sensitised on how to prevent such issues in their areas.
“The issue of theft and land grabbing…let us try to educate our people more especially when they are making the agreement somebody,” he said.
He urged people to be very careful when borrowing and putting land as security noting that clear agreement must be made.
The deputy RPC Rwenzori sub region, Hamis Kayondo, urged the public to keep on reporting related cases about theft, defilement, forced marriages among others.
“The public, you are our ears and eyes because we cannot be everywhere. I want to promise that when get reports, we shall always act according,” he said.
