By Staff Reporter
Parents in Kalaki District have been urged to stop offering their daughters for early marriages and instead focus on proper upbringing and education of girls in order to secure their future.
The call was made during a training session for Kumam cultural leaders on widow inheritance and property rights held at the district headquarters in Kalaki District. The engagement was organized by the Kumam Cultural Heritage with support from the Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa.
Speaking during the training, Richard Esupu, the Senior Community Development Officer for Kalaki District, expressed concern that some parents continue to marry off their teenage daughters in exchange for financial benefits or fines from prospective husbands.
He noted that such practices deny girls the opportunity to complete their education and develop their full potential.
Esupu also raised concerns about the continued abuse of widows’ rights in many communities, saying cases of land grabbing and property disputes remain common.
According to him, widows often struggle to access justice when relatives of their late husbands attempt to take over family property.
In an effort to address the problem, Peter Ekilu, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Kumam Cultural Heritage, who attended the training, said more community engagements would be organized to influence attitudes toward early child marriages and the protection of widows’ property rights.
He urged the participants—who came from districts including Kalaki District, Kaberamaido District, Amolatar District, Dokolo District, Soroti District and Soroti City—to act as ambassadors for positive change within their communities.
“We want cultural leaders to guide communities toward protecting the rights of girls, widows and vulnerable members of society,” Ekilu said.
Meanwhile, Rev. Kenedy Eyou, Assistant Vicar of St. Peter’s Cathedral Soroti, called on parents to take responsibility for the future of their children and ensure they grow up in supportive and protective environments.
He emphasized that communities must respect and protect the rights of widows and orphans, noting that safeguarding families is essential for building a strong and responsible society.
The training forms part of ongoing efforts by cultural and community leaders to address harmful cultural practices while promoting justice, education and protection of vulnerable groups in the Teso sub-region.
