Published on 02/10/2025
For thousands of teenage mothers in Uganda, pregnancy marks the end of their education. Now, a group of MPs is pushing for a policy to reverse that reality, insisting that motherhood should never be a barrier to learning.
The call was made during an interaction with teenage mothers and fathers on September 25, 2025, where the young parents shared challenges of balancing parenthood with education. Many expressed a strong desire to return to school but cited difficulties managing childcare alongside academic responsibilities.
Yusuf Mutembuli, MP for Bunyole East, stressed the importance of supporting girls’ education and raising awareness about the risks of early pregnancies. “As legislators, we must act. If a pregnant girl has the energy to sit for exams, there’s no reason to deny her that opportunity. We must ensure our children can study, regardless of their situation,” he said.
A March 2022 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), The Cost of Inaction: The Economic and Social Burden of Teenage Pregnancy in Uganda, revealed that Uganda recorded 31,565 teenage pregnancies monthly in 2021, equating to 1,052 daily cases, up from 29,835 in 2019 and 29,557 in 2020.
Mutembuli noted that since many teenage mothers are below the age of consent, decisions about their education should involve parents or guardians. “These children made innocent mistakes. We need a policy to ensure they return to school,” he added, pointing out that many teenage fathers are also minors and unable to provide support.
The 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) reported that 23.5% of women aged 15-19 had begun childbearing, with 18.4% having given birth and 5.1% pregnant with their first child. This rate has remained steady since 2006.
The Ministry of Health highlighted that teenage pregnancy infringes on girls’ rights and hinders their socioeconomic development, with 1 in 10 girls aged 15-19 beginning childbearing by age 16, rising to nearly 4 in 10 by age 18.
During the interaction, Tom Julius Ekudo, MP for Gweri County, shared a personal story about his daughter, who was seven months pregnant in Senior Five before it was discovered. “The school allowed her to continue studying with daily transport support. She completed her exams and later delivered. If we deny these girls opportunities, with 1,000 pregnancies reported daily, how many futures will we sacrifice?” he asked.
The MPs’ push aligns with UNFPA warnings that reducing teenage pregnancies by 10% could lower the number of teenage mothers from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.2 million, saving Uganda approximately UGX50 billion annually in healthcare costs.
Without intervention, 64% of teenage mothers may not complete primary education, and 60% may end up in peasant agriculture, with annual healthcare and education costs for teenage mothers and their children exceeding UGX645 billion.
In 2020, Uganda spent UGX1.28 trillion on reproductive healthcare for teenage mothers, including UGX246.9 billion in health facility costs and UGX1.03 trillion by families. An additional UGX8.1 billion was spent on minor healthcare for their children. The proposed policy aims to address these challenges by ensuring teenage mothers can continue their education, fostering a brighter future for them and their families.
