Kazimba warns against focusing on girls while neglecting boys

Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Samuel Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, is welcomed by a child and Bishop Nason Baluku of South Rwenzori Diocese on August 24th

Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Samuel Stephen Kazimba Mugalu has urged parents to deliberately include boys in their education and family development plans, warning that continued emphasis on the girl child without similar investment in boys could create serious social problems.

Kazimba said parents, government and development organisations had made significant progress in promoting girls' education and welfare but needed to give boys greater attention as they face challenges that can affect their transition into adulthood.

“Now, 90 percent of drug addicts are men. Ninety per cent of criminals are men. Ninety per cent of the people in rehabilitation are men. Ninety per cent of those in prison are men. Where does this leave us?” he asked.

He also pointed to what he described as a gender imbalance in family and church life, saying women and girls dominate several areas that should prompt families to examine how boys are being raised.

“90 per cent of the people who come to church are women. 90 percent of confirmation classes are girls. 92 per cent of people who visit their children in schools are women, and 90 per cent of those visited are girls,” he said.

Kazimba said the figures should prompt parents, churches and development organisations to reconsider how they support boys.

“Everyone is concerned about the girl child. Even Non-governmental Organisations have centred on girl children, leaving out our boys. That girl child you have nurtured well will land in the hands of that boy you have not given attention to as a husband, and the result will be domestic violence,” he said.

He urged parents to deliberately invest in boys' education, character development, emotional wellbeing and responsible upbringing, while calling on mothers to guide their sons and encourage them to develop strong relationships with their fathers.

Using his own family as an example, Kazimba said his four sons had maintained a close relationship with their mother and often shared personal conversations with her.

“Whenever they visit home, you will see all surrounding their mother and even have secrets they are happily exchanging, ‘Obwaama’. And that happiness surely gives me comfort,” he said.

Kazimba made the remarks at St Paul's Cathedral in South Rwenzori Diocese while bidding farewell to Christians in Kasese at the conclusion of his farewell tour ahead of his retirement from active service in 2027.

He also urged parents in Kasese to prioritise education, describing it as one of the most valuable investments they can make in their children's future.

The Archbishop expressed concern over teenage pregnancies in the district, citing what he described as the case of a 24-year-old woman who had already become a grandmother.

“Kasese is still grappling with high teenage pregnancies, with the youngest grandmother at the age of 24. This is surely quite absurd. That is why I will put much emphasis on education so that such cases are really limited,” he said.

Kazimba said keeping children in school and providing them with the necessary scholastic materials could help reduce teenage pregnancies and protect young people from risky behaviour.

He also called on the people of Kasese to maintain peace, unity and compassion, saying conflict and violence undermine development.

“Friends, love one another, be of one mind, be compassionate and never pay evil for evil. There shall never be development whenever there is war; always destructive, and bloodshed. If you want to grow, be united and at peace with everyone,” he said.

Kazimba, born on August 15, 1962, was consecrated on March 1, 2020, becoming the ninth Archbishop of the Church of Uganda.