25 parents sentenced to community service in Kitgum over child neglect
In a move aimed at tackling growing cases of child neglect, police condemned the parents whose children went to Orom sub-county headquarters to collect hand hoes instead of attending classes at their respective schools.
Parents were each assigned a 30-by-100-metre section to clear within three days as community service before their national ID cards were returned. (Courtesy)
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Police in Orom sub-county, Kitgum District, have ordered a total of 25 parents to serve community service after keeping their children out of school.
In a move aimed at tackling growing cases of child neglect, police condemned the parents whose children went to Orom sub-county headquarters to collect hand hoes instead of attending classes at their respective schools.
The action followed the interception of 25 minors, aged between 9 and 14 years, who on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, joined hundreds to receive the farm tools distributed by the government.
During questioning, the children told police they had been sent by their parents to collect the farming tools on their behalf.
The Officer-in-Charge of Orom Police Station, Patrick Ongom, said investigations revealed that five of the children had already dropped out of school, some as early as the age of eight.
The minors were temporarily held at one of the sub-county offices before being released. Police confiscated the national identity cards that parents had handed to the children to collect the hoes, requiring the parents to appear in person before the IDs could be returned.
Police summoned all 25 parents to appear on Wednesday. However, only seven parents responded to the summons.
Rather than prosecuting them, police opted for what they described as a corrective approach.
Each parent was assigned a 30-by-100-metre section to clear within three days as community service before their national identity cards would be returned.
The exercise involves slashing overgrown vegetation around the sub-county headquarters, the police post, and the residence of the sub-county chief.
Ongom said the punishment is intended to remind parents of their responsibility to care for and educate their children.
Police alarmed by rising child neglect
Ongom also raised concern over increasing cases of defilement, revealing that police register between three and four cases regularly, while many others go unreported due to community silence.
Labour officer cites child labour concerns
Kitgum District Labour Officer Joyce Adule said Orom East, Kiteny and Namokora sub-counties continue to record high levels of child labour.
According to Adule, many families relocate to farming areas in Lipan between July and August to cultivate sesame, often taking children out of school to work in the fields because of limited labour.
She acknowledged that inadequate staffing and limited resources have hampered efforts by her office to carry out community sensitisation campaigns aimed at discouraging child labour and school absenteeism.
The bigger picture
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges of child neglect, school dropout and child labour in parts of Kitgum District. Authorities are urging parents to prioritise their children's education and welfare, warning that failure to do so could attract tougher enforcement measures in the future.