Legislators of the Parliamentary Forum on Ethics and Integrity are calling upon the people of Uganda and East Africa, the Heads of State, Courts of Laws, legislators in the East African region to “reject wholesomely the East African Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Bill (2017)” which is aimed at legalizing abortion.
The forum Chairperson and former Minister of Ethics and Integrity, James Nsaba Buturo told the media on Monday that the forum was opposed to the new EALA Bill which is sponsored by a Burundian legislator whose motive among others is to introduce among others contraceptives for children and young people in the member states.
“If passed, the bill will bind all the East African nations to provide contraceptives and allow abortion to children, young people and adults,” Nbaba Buturo noted.
Parliamentary Forum on Ethics and Integrity Chairman, James Nsaba Buturo
The former Minister said that while the promoters of the bill claim that the it is intended to prevent unwanted pregnancies, risky abortions and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDs and ensuring quality sexual reproductive health care, education and other services; their true intentions is to secure the legalization of abortion in the East African region.
“The bill in question has other dangerous outcomes; children and young people are not of age to be invited to engage in sex. The argument that everybody, including children, has a right to choose and consent to any method of birth control is totally disingenuous and against the very grain of our decency and values as Africans.”
Buturo added that licensing children’s access to contraceptives “is a morally bankrupt attempt to dismantle the edifice upon which our common decency and value of human life has been premised ever since man came into existence.”
Buwheju County lawmaker, Francis Mwijukye another forum member noted that they won’t allow such a move aimed at legalizing abortion which is against Uganda’s Constitution which clearly states in Article 22 section 2 that, “No person has the right to terminate the life of an unborn child except as may be authorized by law”.
Manjiya County MP, John Baptist Nambeshe also added his voice; “Both advocates and apologists of abortion are wickedly and treacherously seeking to deny the voiceless a right to life which they themselves enjoy, they are passing a death sentence to the voiceless.”