INADEQUATE FUNDING ESCALATES CHILD RIGHTS ABUSE IN ANKORE REGION.

By Aggrey Twesigye
in Mbarara.

Leaders in Ankore region have blamed the escalating child rights abuse on poor funding of community based services.

The Mbarara district Probation Officer, Asimire Alison while Speaking during a one-day training on Child Protection rights organized by National Children Authority (NCA) in Mbarara on 14th dec 2022Wednesday, said it is hard to end the child rights abuses since they are incapacitated to ensure abusers are promptly prosecuted.

Asimire singled out the persistent lack of transport, for victims and offenders, to Courts of law.

Henry Mushabe the Probation Officer, Mbarara city said the country needs to deal with the rampant cases of child abuse, including sexual and physical abuse, child labour, trafficking and early marriages.

According to Mushabe, the city alone has recorded 17 cases of domestic violence ,33 cases of Child neglect,27 cases of abandoned children among others from January,2022-Todate.

Faith Amanya the probation officer Bushenyi district in her submission said that her office has recorded 57 cases of Defilement,500 cases of neglected children,30 cases of Child labor among others from January,2022-To date.

She said children protection should be among the priorities that the executive should focus on.

Dominic Mukiza, the probation officer Ibanda said that child rights abuse in Ibanda is mostly triggered by domestic violence. he revealed that out of 100 households in Ibanda ,73 have traces of domestic violence.

He added that his office has recorded 67 cases of Child neglect ,19 cases of child abuse ,26 cases of Gender based violence,22 cases of Sexual Violence ,75 cases of Defilement (aggravated and Simple) among others from January,2022-To date.

Benon Mugume, the Probation Officer Ntungamo District appealed to the government to increase funding for the gender ministry so that their work is facilitated.

As the rest of the districts in the region, Ntungamo district has also had an increase in cases of child rights violation that is 1,752 cases of child neglect,521 cases of domestic violence,09 cases of abandoned children among others, from January,2022-To date.

The 2022 police crime report indicates that defilement cases in the country have increased from 14,230 in 2020 to 14,570 in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Officer -in-charge of child protection at Ruti Police station in Mbarara city Agnes Besiga, said that police Criminal Intelligence Department sometimes hijack domestic violence cases that are supposed to fall in the dockets of Police child protection unit.

Martin Kiiza the Executive Director National Children Authority said that they will embark on scaling out sensitization Program of masses about child protection.

Kiiza noted that cases of child rights violation have also increased in Ankore region that is 71% cases of child neglect in Mbarara city alone ,20% cases of defilement in Ibanda district,53% cases of domestic violence in Kiruhura district.

He is now appealing to local leaders to double efforts in ensuring child rights.