President Yoweri Museveni has said he pities women who bleach because they are unable to appreciate their own natural beauty.
President Museveni said, “I pity women who bleach. You are in danger. You need to appreciate God’s creation. You can hardly walk anywhere without finding a woman who has not bleached but this is not good for your health. Stop tampering with nature.”
President Museveni was speaking at the passing out of over 1000 youth through non formal training at the Uganda North America Youth Development Association in Mutundwe today.
The youth have been equipped with several skills like making cakes, making candles and some treating ailments with herbal medicine.
On herbal medicine, President Museveni expressed disappointment that some Ugandans regard native wisdom practiced through herbal medicine as ungodly.
In attendance was the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese Dr. Cyprian Lwanga who concurred with President Museveni’s views on herbal medicine.
Archbishop Lwanga added his voice that herbal medicines are not ungodly and believers can safely use them to treat their various ailments.
Archbishop Lwanga noted that if more youths get involved in herbal medicine research, this could be an avenue to fight unemployment and poverty in Uganda.
Dr. Grace Nambatya, Director of Research at the Ugandan Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Laboratory, expressed concern over parliament’s delay to enact the Indigenous and complementary medicine bill, 2015.
Dr Nambatya explained that if the bill is passed, it will give practitioners legal recognition and enable regulation.
Dr Nambatya said many practitioners had already come up with useful herbal medicines to fight Malaria but cannot market their medicines because of lack of a legal framework.
The six months training in herbal medicine was facilitated by a 150 million shillings donation from President Museveni through the youth ministry headed by Nakiwala Kiyingi.
