Sh70m Used To Rid Kampala Of Street Urchins

By Edris KisambiraA TOTAL of sh70m has been used in the operation aimed at ridding Kampala streets of urchins.Sam Acou, a senior probation welfare officer at the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, who is leading the operation told The New Vision recently that about sh70m had been used and more was expected to be used. Acou, who was at Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre, Mpigi district, with 30 social workers, said they had used the money to buy for the children clothes, mattresses, blankets, food, playing games and to install burglar proof in the buildings to prevent them from escaping out at night. The money will also be used to pay for the manpower used to pick up the children from the streets.The social workers on Friday started screening the children to ascertain their ages, names, places of origin, problems and ambitions to enable the authorities develop a plan for them. another 147 street urchins, including men and women were taken to Kampiringisa following an overnight operation on Friday.This brings the number to 292 at the centre which has a capacity to only hold 300 people.Among them, were 22 women with their children.The first group was taken to the centre on Thursday after a crackdown on the children on Kampala streets.Michael Alule, the principle of the centre, said the urchins would be regarded as children in need of care and protection while the adults will be charged with being rogues and vagabonds. However, he doubted whether the security provided by the five police officers at the centre would be enough to prevent riots at there. Zoe Bakoko Bakoru, the gender, labour and social development, said the centre was renovated and provided with appropriate facilities to temporarily care for the children.Ends