SOROTI, Uganda — Secondary schoolgirls in Soroti City are reportedly engaging in commercial sex for as little as Shs 1,000 to meet basic daily needs such as lunch and other expenses, raising serious concerns about child exploitation and public health.
The revelation was made during the Soroti Secondary School Annual General Meeting on Saturday by Sheikh Obilan Abubakar Umar, Regional Assistant Mufti (RAM) for Teso-Karamoja. Sheikh Obilan also raised alarm over the high HIV prevalence in Soroti City, which currently stands at 12.5%, well above the national average of 5.1%. According to the Uganda AIDS Commission (2024), Soroti ranks second only to Fort Portal, where prevalence is 13.5%.
Sheikh Obilan revealed that authorities have identified 120 “hot spots” across the city linked to commercial sex, including areas where schoolgirls reportedly charge between Shs 1,000 and Shs 2,000. He described the trend as detrimental to culture, religion, the Teso sub-region, and Uganda at large.
He condemned parents who marry off their underage daughters, depriving them of education. “I have been reliably informed that a Muslim parent of a senior two student is actively looking for a man to marry her off. Such parents should be reported immediately to authorities, and the law applied,” Sheikh Obilan warned.
The RAM urged communities to remain vigilant against exploitation of young girls for commercial sex or forced marriage. He also expressed concern about parents who view children primarily as a source of income, noting that some parents send their daughters to school without providing basic support, compromising cultural and spiritual values.
Sheikh Obilan cautioned that neglecting children’s voices often leads to trauma, stress, and psychological unrest, calling this trend “parental absenteeism.”
Beyond HIV, Sheikh Obilan highlighted other pressing health issues affecting the Teso sub-region, including cervical cancer and sickle cell disease. He noted that Teso now ranks second to Lango in Uganda for sickle cell prevalence. “The disease is growing rapidly in Teso. We need to fight the trend fraternally,” he advised.
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council regional office is leading efforts to combat sickle cell through massive testing, counseling, and advocacy for pre-marital screening. Sheikh Obilan urged parents to get tested and called for all schoolgirls to be screened to determine carrier status. He also announced plans to establish a sickle cell clinic in Soroti City soon.
He called on parents, educators, and local authorities to intervene urgently to protect young girls and address the socio-economic challenges pushing them into exploitative situations. Authorities described the situation as alarming and stressed that families and community leaders must take immediate action to safeguard children and prevent further exploitation.
