JINJA: A 25-year-old medical student has been discontinued from Jinja Medical Laboratory Training School after it was discovered she was pregnant — sparking a firestorm on social media and raising serious questions about women’s rights in Uganda’s education system.
Namukisa Sarah, a final-year student with a promising future in healthcare, was abruptly shown the door after school administrators, led by Principal Moses Ibwala Ongwalu, enforced a controversial rule banning pregnant students from continuing their studies.
The Uganda Medical Laboratory Technology Professionals Association (UMLTA) quickly jumped to defend Ongwalu, insisting he was simply “following the rules.” They cited Section 2.9C of the 2023 Health Training Institutions’ Rules and Regulations, which bizarrely requires pregnant students to leave school and only return after delivery and six months of breastfeeding.
But critics say there’s a huge gap between “granting leave” and cutting off someone’s education entirely.
“She wasn’t granted anything. She was kicked out,” one medical student told Campus Bee. “It’s cruel, outdated, and sexist.”
Namukisa, who dreamed of becoming a medical professional to help mothers and children in underserved areas, now finds herself locked out of the very system that trains healthcare workers — for the simple fact that she is bringing life into the world.
“I didn’t fail. I didn’t break any laws. I’m just pregnant,” she said in an emotional interview. “They’ve taken my future because of that.”
The backlash has been fierce. Online campaigns are calling for #JusticeForSarah and demanding a full review of the policy. Women’s rights groups are up in arms, calling the decision discriminatory and a slap in the face to Uganda’s commitment to girls’ education and maternal health.
“This isn’t discipline — it’s discrimination,” said a representative from a Kampala-based legal aid group. “It’s 2025. Pregnancy should not be a reason to deny education.”
Still, UMLTA has doubled down, warning the public to stop criticizing Ongwalu and insisting the rules were applied “faithfully.”
Faithfully, perhaps — but fairly? That’s a question the Ministry of Education may now be forced to answer.
