Ayume urges West Nile leaders to embrace traditional justice in tackling sexual and reproductive health cases

What the report says

Nile Post reports that State Minister for Primary Health Care Dr Charles Ayume has urged leaders in West Nile to use traditional justice structures alongside formal systems in responding to sexual and reproductive health and rights cases. He made the call during a meeting with district leaders in Nebbi Municipality, where stakeholders assessed implementation of the PROTECT SRHR project for the July 2025 to July 2026 period.

Ayume said cases such as teenage pregnancy, defilement and early marriage remain common in the region, but many victims do not approach police or health facilities. According to the report, he argued that community-based mechanisms, if aligned with health and legal standards, could help reduce stigma, improve referrals for treatment and counselling, and connect victims to formal justice processes. Nile Post noted that he did not propose replacing criminal prosecution for offences such as defilement.

The meeting also heard concerns about worsening reproductive health and protection indicators, including gender-based violence, early motherhood, low first-trimester antenatal care attendance and reduced male involvement in antenatal care and family planning. PROTECT SRHR Team Leader Herbert Mugumya said Nebbi had weak indicators among districts that do not host refugees, and linked many challenges to household and community-level factors.

Some district leaders cautioned against language they said could soften criminal conduct. Nebbi Resident District Commissioner Robert Abak said pregnancies involving girls under 18 should be treated as defilement cases and linked rising teenage pregnancy partly to poverty. The PROTECT SRHR project is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at €20 million, about Shs84.5 billion, and is implemented by the International Rescue Committee with partners in Nebbi, Pakwach, Arua, Yumbe and Koboko.