What Uganda should do to protect her young

By Caroline Ariba

THE latest hype in the child protection discourse has been sealing any holes that might leave the child vulnerable. 

Stella Ayo-Odongo, the executive director of the Uganda Child Rights Ngo Network, had quite a lot of tips to voice, but mostly what the members of parliaments have to do to bring this to fruition.

But this comes at a time when members of parliament will be discussing the issue again, amid busy election schedules. 

What Ayo expects from this discussion, is see that the members are fully on board with closing up the gaps in the law, and speed up policies that will see child traffickers disguised as good Samaritans, hit a dead end.

"It will start with one thing; the members of parliament's commitment to seeing this bill pass," she says. She says that the Children Act as a law governing care, protection and maintenance has legal gaps and implementation challenges. 

"It does not support the attainment of the overall objective of the State to promote and protect the rights of a child as undertaken under various treaties and conventions,' she adds, quoting the proposals intended to be put before parliament.

She argued that children are still being subjected to all forms of exploitation including but not limited to corporal punishment, child labor and neglect. The current law does not explicitly provide for guardianship, more so inter country guardianship orders have been abused by several applicants.

"The purpose of this Bill therefore, is to align the provisions of the Children Act Cap. 59 with the already existing laws that relate to care and protection of children, provide for fair trial of child offenders, enhance the rights and safety of children, and regulate adoption and guardianship of children."

She says that if the members of parliament speed up the rectifications, and then move to transform the national council for children so that it is at the fore front of these issues, then a way would have been paved. 

In the meantime, as the chaos goes on, Uganda should also move to postpone