Alcohol still main cause of gender based violence in Kabale

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Excessive alcohol consumption remains the leading cause of gender based violence-GBV in Kabale district according to police records. A report by the Kabale Police Child and Family Protection Unit shows that 211 cases of GBV have been recorded between January and December 2020.

50 cases were reported by men and women reported the remaining 161 cases. Margret Kamihanga, the Officer in Charge of the Child and Family Protection Unit at Kabale central police station says the biggest number of cases were registered in Kamuganguzi sub county followed by Kitumba and Buhara sub county.

The three sub-counties border Rwanda and are famous for brewing and consumption of local alcohol known as “Danje”. Kamihanga says that most cases of GBV go unreported because of stigma and cultural rigidities while other cases are handled at the village level.

The police report came up during a survey conducted by the Forum for Women in Democracy –FOWEDE, a Non-governmental organization supporting advocacy for women rights in Kigezi region.

FOWEDE field officer, Dorothy Kesiime Naturinda told URN that they embarked on community dialogues to engage women and selected groups of men to find a lasting solution to gender-based violence resulting from alcohol consumption.

The first dialogue was held at Muyebe Church of Uganda and was attended by women from Buhara sub county. Buhara sub-county LC 3 chairperson, Joseph Baryamujura faults police for failure to stop waragi distilling in his sub-county.

Kabale district authorities banned alcohol distilling in border sub-counties in an attempt to stop Rwandans from crossing to buy the waragi amidst the threat of COVID-19.

Some of the women who attended the community dialogue at Muyebe Church of Uganda said alcoholism has encouraged laziness in men.

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