Sserubidde dumps partner; She only gives birth to girls!

By Arthur Mwenkanya Katabalwa.

This morning as I had my breakfast I nearly spat out my cornflakes at one of my colleagues. The headline in The New Vision read (and I am not making this up), Man dumps wife for producing only girls.

According to the paper, a one Mathew Sserubidde has decided to dump the mother of his three daughters. She has apparently failed to bear him an heir. He is set to wed another woman hopefully she will bear him an heir.

This is so wrong on so many fronts in my view. The said Mr Sserubidde has come to the conclusion that it is entirely his ex-partners fault that she has thus far given birth to only girls? I am not an expert on fertility matters but can’t it be his fault as well?

I have had of incidences in Uganda where a couple has taken long to conceive after getting together. And the way some of us have taken matters in our hands is despicable. As the lady has walked by, we have pointed with our mouths, which must be a Bantu trait, pointing with the mouth; in the general direction of the lady saying: “Oyo muguumba!” (that one is barren). It can be a man’s problem as well; firing blanks so to speak.

Unfortunately this isn’t a local problem. Other countries like India and china have been rumoured to abort babies solely due to their sex. In the United Kingdom a debate once raged about a couple that wanted to choose the sex of their next baby because one that they already had was suffering a degenerative medical problem and a particular sex of their next child would help them with internal organs.

The desire to have a boy according to Mr Sserubidde is the desire to have an heir. What’s wrong with a girl being an heir? And this isn’t a question that is unique to Uganda alone but in many areas of the world. Society sees the male as the only that a lineage will be maintained. However, in my view, there comes a time when some of these things need to be scrutinised.

But on this occasion,  this gentleman has decided to find another woman whose parents are actually encouraging it. The poor lady is going to be petrified when she gets pregnant because woe betide her is she has another Sheila.