By Tausi Nakato
The Bishop of Busoga Diocese, Rt Rev Samson Paul Naimanhye, has attributed the increasing cases of incest to moral decay among Ugandans.
The Bishop made the remarks on Wednesday during a requiem mass for a prominent Jinja-based engineer and industrialist, Asupasa Kivebulaya Nabulongo Mwase, who died on February 4 aged 91.
“Immorality, people not respecting their homes, and a lot of gender-based violence is taking place because of moral decadence,” Bishop Naimanhye said.
He added: “Here (in Jinja city), we have a man who defiled his 14-year-old biological daughter several times. Fathers are defiling children of one year, five years, and below.”
Bishop Naimanhye was referencing a case in which a 35-year-old man was arrested for allegedly defiling his 14-year-old daughter in a guest house in Katwe zone, Bugembe ward, Jinja North city division.
Police say a 20-year-old receptionist at the guest house has since been taken into custody for allegedly allocating the pair a room, “looking on and providing hospitality services” as the father hung out with his underage daughter he reportedly defiled “at least twice”.
The Kiira region police spokesperson, Mr James Mubi, said the suspect was arrested because she failed to provide information about what was going on between the man and the young girl, yet she knew it.
“We have arrested a receptionist for concealing and providing accommodation to a person committing the offence of defiling a 14-year-old daughter,” Mr Mubi said in an earlier interview.
The programmes coordinator Uganda Network for Empowerment of the Marginalised child and Youth (NEMACY), Pastor Paul Batambuze, said as children activists, they condemn the act, saying “The law should take its course.”
According to Bishop Naimanhye, gender-based violence is on the increase in Uganda due to moral decadence, and urged parents to protect their children because they are their custodians, and advised women against living a single life, but stay in their marriages until death.
“The wife of the deceased has been in marriage without divorce and is being separated by death. They have protected their children who are responsible doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers. Let us stay in marriage for the safety of our children because single life brings a lot of problems,’’ he added.
