Government is moving to strengthen community care and child protection systems in a bid to control the number of children on Ugandan streets.
This was revealed by the commissioner Youth and children affairs at the ministry of gender, labour and social development Fred Ngabirano during a stakeholders' meeting on child protection organized by Compassion International and the Child i Foundation.
Commissioner Ngabirano says government is to enact a law that will strengthen community care and child protection systems to reduce the number of children running to the streets. He says more children end up on the streets because of parental negligence, broken families and irresponsible fathers and this can be controlled through strict laws and policies.
He says children living and working on the streets are exposed to engaging in crime while majority resort to begging for survival.
'"Parents have chosen to prioritize work over family, leaving children with no guidance at all. Over 200 children are in Kampiringisa rehabilitation center because of offences that should have been avoided if their families were supportive". Mr. Ngabirano said.
Speaking at the same meeting, the National Director, Compassion International, Lenny Mugisha said child abusers should be held accountable to send a strong message to the future offenders. Mugisha emphasizes that many people trusted with protecting and taking care of children end up abusing them unabated and the cycle goes on.
About 15,000 children live and work on the streets with no means of survival resorting to begging and criminal acts. Kampala Capital City Authority in 2019 passed an ordinance banning people from giving money to street children but this has not helped either.
