MPs worried over children influx on streets as NCA officials snub committee

By Francis Lubega

17^th Dec 2021

Parliament’s Committee on Gender, Labour and social Development says the failure of officials from the National Children Authority -NCA to appear before this committee is going to delay the evacuation of children from the streets countrywide. 

This is after the officials from Authority failed to appear before the Committee chaired by Flavia Kabahenda to respond to concerns raised over the increasing number of street children in Kampala especially those who hail from the Karamoja region.

The Napak District Woman Representative, Faith Nakut asked Parliament to urge Government to respond to the plight of Karamojong children enslaved in street begging and forced labor.

Kabahenda says Parliament has on several occasions allocated funds for removal of these children off the streets but with the failure of these officials to appear before the committee has raised concerns over whether these funds were put to proper use.

She says the issue of Karamojong children enslaved on the streets countrywide has been longstanding since the 9^th Parliament and the agencies responsible have been giving excuses hence delaying Parliament in its efforts to try to solve this issue.

According to a report of 2005, more than three quarters of the street children in Kampala and other towns are Karimojong and their influx is growing every year.