KIGALI – Following allegations by rights watchdog Human Rights Watch and western media over a reproductive health bill that is currently before parliament, parliament has strongly denied the existence of articles of compulsory HIV testing and sterilisation.

The coordinator of a joint network of Rwandan Parliamentarians for the Population’s Development (RPRPD), Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo, strongly dismissed HRW’ allegations.

"You cannot force anyone to go for HIV testing, neither can you prohibit anyone from their rights to procreate,” he said in an interview, arguing that the bill is just a proposal from the previous mandate’s Parliamentary commission for population development.

Ntawukuriryayo who is also the Deputy Speaker of the Lower Chamber of Deputies explained that the proposal was introduced as one of the ways to help Rwandans understand matters related to reproductive health and family planning.

But the former health minister categorically denied the existence of any provisions where people would be forced to show their HIV status before getting married, as well as those proposing to sterilise people with mental disabilities.

"It is like the Two-for-One campaign. We want every Rwandan not to go beyond two children, but if one happens to get three, would you kill them or what?” he added as an example illustrating why HIV test and sterilisation proposals should not be put into law.

An outspoken family planning advocate, Ntawukuriryayo said he was disappointed by the allegations by the US – based Human Rights Watch, saying they should at least have contacted the Rwandan side before publishing false reports.

The Minister of Information and government spokesperson, Louise Mushikiwabo, said the watchdog has nothing to complain about since the bill fully takes care of people’s rights.

"These rights are provided for in our constitution and other laws,” she noted, explaining that different mechanisms are in place to ensure full respect of people’s rights. 

The watchdog had called some of these provisions a violation of people’s rights, saying if passed into law, they would increase stigma, rely on coercion, and deny individuals their reproductive rights.

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