Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has urged Ugandans to continue voting for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to enable the ruling party to fulfill its promises, including the provision of free sanitary pads for girls—a pledge made almost a decade ago.
Nabbanja explained, “That is the reason I told you that 16% of our commitments aren’t fulfilled because of money. With the mandate that Ugandans continue to give us as NRM, we shall fulfill all the promises, including sanitary pads.”
Her remarks followed a question raised by Joel Ssenyonyi, Leader of the Opposition, during yesterday’s plenary sitting. Ssenyonyi criticized the government for failing to deliver on its promise of free sanitary pads, initially made in 2015.
“The Prime Minister claims this government has a habit of fulfilling promises. I wonder about the yardstick used to determine this. You promised free sanitary pads for all girls. Was this just a lie to the people of Uganda? When will you fulfill that promise?” Ssenyonyi asked.
This discussion comes at a time when the Auditor General, Edward Akol, revealed in his June 2024 report to Parliament that 64% of female learners in Uganda have missed school due to a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, water, and disposal facilities.
The report stated that 64% of female learners (138 out of 216) reported being absent from school because of menstruation. Reasons cited included the lack of menstrual materials and sanitation facilities.
The findings were part of a Value for Money Audit assessing the government’s efforts, through the Ministry of Education, to support menstrual health and hygiene (MHHM) in primary and secondary schools. The report highlighted inadequate commitment by the government to establish proper sanitation facilities and limited parental involvement in providing adequate menstrual materials.
The audit revealed that many schools did not provide emergency pads or MHHM support, lacked access to water and proper sanitation facilities, and that parents often failed to provide sufficient pads, underwear, or guidance on menstrual hygiene. It also pointed out that myths, stigma, and cultural beliefs have contributed to poor menstrual hygiene practices, especially in the Eastern and Northern regions.
The Auditor General made several recommendations, including prioritizing the dissemination of MHHM guidelines, securing funding for reviewing the primary school curriculum to integrate menstrual hygiene education, ensuring piped water systems prioritize schools for water access, and enhancing capacity-building for senior men and women teachers to support female learners in managing menstrual hygiene.
NRM’s unfulfilled promises extended beyond menstrual health, with Nakaseke South MP Luttamaguzi Semakula accusing the government of failing to deliver on key pledges, including electricity extension, ambulance provision, school rehabilitation, and road repairs in his constituency.
“I no longer sleep well in my constituency because of these unmet presidential pledges. For example, the promise to rehabilitate Kakonfa Primary School, where the President used to sleep during his time as a rebel, remains unfulfilled,” Luttamaguzi lamented.
In response, Nabbanja assured him that progress was being made, highlighting projects like the Luwero-Butalangu Road, which is 52% complete, and the rehabilitation of Luwero Hospital.
Nabbanja defended the NRM’s track record, claiming, “49% of all commitments we made during this Kisanja are complete, while 39% are nearing completion. This year, the NRM Government will perform above 84%.”
However, critics, including Ssenyonyi, argue that promises like the provision of free sanitary pads have turned into empty rhetoric, leaving critical issues like menstrual health unaddressed and continuing to impact girls’ education negatively.
This article was originally published on Parliament Watch