By Geoffrey Mutegeki Araali in Kabarole
President Museveni has blamed the increasing HIV/Aids prevalence in Uganda on non-governmental organisations’ (NGO) promotion of condom use, sex work and circumcision.
The President, while addressing residents of Fort Portal during the commissioning of Kabarole District headquarters on Saturday, revealed that his efforts were curtailed but promised to revive his campaign.
“In the 1980s, I fought HIV/Aids and encouraged many people to do so, but when I went to fight Kony, NGOs changed my preaching and promoted prostitution by saying that people should use condoms, and the HIV rate rose from 5% to 7%,” Museveni said.
He urged the youth to abstain and stop sex work, saying condoms and circumcision will not protect them from HIV/Aids.
“Now you go for circumcision to avoid acquiring the virus. Have you become metals because of circumcision? Aren’t Bakonjo and Bagisu dying of Aids? The condom does not protect [against] HIV,” Mr Museveni said.
He added: “I am so worried and it is NGOs who have led to this. Because they want to sell condoms, they have turned you into a market yet you are dying.”
The President vowed to revive his campaign against HIV/Aids and sex work.
“Now that the wars, which had diverted me, are over I am going to revive my campaign of fighting prostitution and HIV/Aids,” he said. He challenged the youth to be faithful and trustworthy to their partners and to delay sex.
He also challenged them to work hard and fight poverty, which is forcing them into sex work.
