Naguru Remand Home seeks court, partners to tackle juvenile overcrowding

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The officer in charge of Naguru Remand Home, Mary Kyomugisha, has raised concerns about the increasing number of children in remand homes, attributing the trend in part to parents neglecting their responsibilities.

According to Kyomugisha, many children, particularly boys, are charged with capital or non-capital offences not because they are inherently criminals, but because they lack proper guidance, parental supervision and support.

“My biggest challenge is the parents. We have very many absent parents and child mothers. We have children that have grown up entirely surviving on their own, and they don't know the dad. They only tell you grandmother. Because of lack of guidance and support, they land into trouble in the line of survival,” disclosed Kyomugisha.

Kyomugisha added that some children are left to fend for themselves, exposing them to situations that can lead to conflict with the law.

From left to Right: Elizabeth Mushabe, Rotary Club of Upper Kololo president, Gerald Obai, District Governor for District 9213, listen to Mary Kyomugisha, Naguru Remand Home in charge, as other Rotarians look on during the courtesy visit at Naguru Remand Home in Kampala on 14th August 2026. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

“Some girls come to Kampala, to big capital centres to survive as housemaids, then in the line of duty, they commit crime. To that, I don't attribute it to a child. I look at parenting. Parenting has caused us great harm. Let us change our ways and keep our children as communal children.”

Naguru Remand Home serves children from the Central region and parts of the Eastern region, including Kamuli. The facility serves 78 lower courts and 15 High Courts, with children from those districts facing either capital or non-capital charges.

“When children arrive on remand, we focus so much on transforming their minds and making them better people for society. However, we are overwhelmed by the increasing numbers,” said Kyomugisha.

The facility has a holding capacity of 120 children, but Kyomugisha said the number had risen to 278.

“We have a holding capacity of 120 children. But today, I have 275 children. As you were coming in, you saw others coming. I had 275 children in the morning. Now they are 278 children," added Kyomugisha.

She raised the concern during a courtesy visit by Rotarians and the District Governor of D9213, who were touring some of Rotary's impact projects at Naguru Remand Home in Kampala on August 14, 2026.

Depending on their choices and preferences, children at the remand home engage in activities including tailoring, hairdressing, poultry, agro-farming and aquaponics, among others.

Child-friendly court still not operational

Apart from the increasing number of children, Kyomugisha said the remand home was also facing challenges with its court, which has been gazetted but is yet to become fully operational.

“Another challenge is that our court was gazetted, but it is not yet operationalised. I call upon several partners to join us to make a child-friendly court because it makes the children feel at ease and tells the court the truth.”

She said a fully operational child-friendly court would reduce the tension children experience when attending court and reduce the cost of transporting them to courts such as those in Kiboga and Masaka.

“This was started in 2020 during Covid-19. Since then, we have had over 20 sessions, and children have been successfully set free in that room. We pray that they make it operational, assign us judges and magistrates who permanently sit here to really see the court running,” requested Kyomugisha.

Kyomugisha called on stakeholders to support remand homes across the country, saying the facilities were struggling to cope with the number of children in their care.

“In Uganda, we have seven remand homes with one national rehabilitation centre. These remand centres also have children beyond their capacity. Currently, I have over 150 children who are in excess; the government itself is overwhelmed, so we request support,” Kyomugisha stated.

Rotary supports rehabilitation efforts

The president of the Rotary Club of Upper Kololo, Elizabeth Mushabe, said the club runs several workshops at the remand home to cater for the different interests of the children.

Mary Kyomugisha, Naguru Remand Home in charge, shows Gerald Obai, District Governor for District 9213, some of the projects done by children during the courtesy visit at Naguru Remand Home in Kampala on 14th August 2026. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

Besides smart gardening, fast-tracking justice and poultry, Mushabe said the club supports initiatives requested by the warden and management.

She said the club's intervention was intended to help children cope with their stay at the remand home and understand that they could avoid returning if they changed their behaviour.

“We support the warden and management team in reducing the anxiety children come with. Some children come after being beaten or accused of various crimes. Some are accused of petty offences while others face allegations that may eventually prove unfounded. Others are involved in genuine cases. Some children engage in these acts without understanding the consequences and end up staying here until their cases are determined,” Mushabe stated.

Mushabe said efforts were also under way to improve the courtroom and make it more suitable for court proceedings.

“We want to uplift the courtroom and ensure that the room is suitable for court proceedings. We want to improve the lighting, work on the ceiling, fix the broken windows, among others,” Mushabe said.

The district governor for District 9213, Gerald Obai, commended the Rotary Club of Upper Kololo for its work at the remand home, particularly its support in nutrition.

During the visit, Obai and other Rotarians observed various activities, including the cultivation of fast-growing crops such as tomatoes, onions and cabbages, which contribute to the children's nutrition.

He said although a lot was being done at the remand home, more support was needed to ensure that children received the necessary care and lived in a conducive environment.

Gerald Obai, District Governor for District 9213, interacts with one of the girls doing tailoring at the Remand Home, as Elizabeth Mushabe, Rotary Club of Upper Kololo president, and Mary Kyomugisha, Naguru Remand Home in charge look on during the courtesy visit at Naguru Remand Home in Kampala on 14th August 2026. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

“I thank this facility for having a court so that children don’t have to be transported out of the Remand home. The magistrates, and judges are able to hear the cases while children are here. Moving around and looking at the facility, there is still a lot that needs to be done, especially if children are to have online sessions,” disclosed Obai.

Obai called on other Rotary clubs to join the initiative, saying the responsibility was too great for one club to handle alone.

“I invite other Rotary Clubs to come on board and partner with us. As D9213, we are going to take the initiative, and I will assign one of the grants officers to come and conduct an assessment so that we can expand on what we are able to do at this facility,” disclosed Obai.