More men abandoning kids - report
Jun 29, 2011
AN increasing number of men are denying their children, the latest Uganda Human Rights Commission report indicates. According to the annual report, released yesterday, child maintenance cases increased from 17% in 2009 to 20.2% in 2010.
By Mary Karugaba, Steven Candia and Simon Masaba
AN increasing number of men are denying their children, the latest Uganda Human Rights Commission report indicates. According to the annual report, released yesterday, child maintenance cases increased from 17% in 2009 to 20.2% in 2010.
The increment is attributed to increased awareness of children’s rights through the media.
The 210-page report on human rights in Uganda shows that of the 306 complaints raised by women to the commission, 178 were denial of child maintenance.
“Child maintenance cases increased by 14% from 2009. Most of the complaints were raised by women because they are the caregivers for their children,†the report read.
Denial of child maintenance was second among the top five complaints registered by the commission in the last five years.
The report further indicates that for the last five years, torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment remained the highest violation complained about. This, the report noted, is in spite of a 12% decrease in the number of torture complaints registered during the period.
According to the report, torture accounted for 276 out of 797 complaints registered by the commission in 2010.
A majority of the complaints were against the Police, with the Rapid Response Unit having 6%.
However, the report says there was a general decline in human rights violation committed by security agencies.
Handing the report to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, the commission chairperson, Meddie Kaggwa, appealed to the Government to speed up the passing of the law on torture.
Speaking later at the official launch of the report at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Kaggwa, reiterated the need for Parliament to debate the report, with the view of adopting the recommendations therein.
While most of the delegates at the launch hailed the report, some raised issues, noting that the report was silent on the rights of minority groups and on issues of good governance.
Kadaga said Parliament had instituted several measures to address the issues raised in the report such as the establishment of a committee to handle human rights issues.
AN increasing number of men are denying their children, the latest Uganda Human Rights Commission report indicates. According to the annual report, released yesterday, child maintenance cases increased from 17% in 2009 to 20.2% in 2010.
The increment is attributed to increased awareness of children’s rights through the media.
The 210-page report on human rights in Uganda shows that of the 306 complaints raised by women to the commission, 178 were denial of child maintenance.
“Child maintenance cases increased by 14% from 2009. Most of the complaints were raised by women because they are the caregivers for their children,†the report read.
Denial of child maintenance was second among the top five complaints registered by the commission in the last five years.
The report further indicates that for the last five years, torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment remained the highest violation complained about. This, the report noted, is in spite of a 12% decrease in the number of torture complaints registered during the period.
According to the report, torture accounted for 276 out of 797 complaints registered by the commission in 2010.
A majority of the complaints were against the Police, with the Rapid Response Unit having 6%.
However, the report says there was a general decline in human rights violation committed by security agencies.
Handing the report to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, the commission chairperson, Meddie Kaggwa, appealed to the Government to speed up the passing of the law on torture.
Speaking later at the official launch of the report at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Kaggwa, reiterated the need for Parliament to debate the report, with the view of adopting the recommendations therein.
While most of the delegates at the launch hailed the report, some raised issues, noting that the report was silent on the rights of minority groups and on issues of good governance.
Kadaga said Parliament had instituted several measures to address the issues raised in the report such as the establishment of a committee to handle human rights issues.