THE Government has provided sh250m for the removal of about 2,000 children from the streets of Kampala, reports Milton Olupot.

State minister for youth and children affairs Maj. James Kinobe on Thursday said there would be constant surveillance to ensure that all street children are removed from urban centres.

There are about 10,000 street children countrywide, but the minister said due to budget constraints, children on Kampala’s streets would be removed first and when the resources are availed, other towns would also be cleared.

The minister was defending their sh22.5b budget for the financial year 2008/09 before the gender, labour and social development committee of Parliament, chaired Beatrice Lagada.

Kinobe said the removal of street children was one of the major activities targeted this year.

Other activities include the construction of houses for Teso and Adhola paramount chiefs budgeted at sh500m and the establishment of the Equal Opportunities Commission at sh1b.

Kinobe said the ministry had intervened in the street children matter because the city council was overwhelmed by the growing numbers.