Gulu district bans night commuting
GULU district has banned night commuting of children since the region is relatively peaceful. Commuters are people, who at the height of the insurgency, moved from suburbs to town centres in the night in search for secure sleeping places.
By Chris Ocowun
GULU district has banned night commuting of children since the region is relatively peaceful. Commuters are people, who at the height of the insurgency, moved from suburbs to town centres in the night in search for secure sleeping places.
The resident district commissioner, Walter Ochora, told journalists on Monday that commuter shelters had been ordered to close immediately.
Plans were underway to demolish the temporary structures, which were put up by agencies, Ochora added.
There are close to 200 children on the streets of Gulu, some of them from Juba in south Sudan, Adjumani, Nebbi, Kitgum, and Pader districts.
“The children on the streets will be rounded up by the Police and taken to a remand home at Pece village,†Ochora said.
Joseph Kilama, a protection officer, said many of the children had resorted to stay on the streets even when the villages were secure.
He noted that some of them had remained on the streets because of the poor relationships with their parents and guardians.
He added that the majority of the street children were orphans, whose parents died during the insurgency.
The district secretary for community services, Santa Oketta, said the children were becoming criminas.
“They are resorting to theft in order to survive,†she said.
GULU district has banned night commuting of children since the region is relatively peaceful. Commuters are people, who at the height of the insurgency, moved from suburbs to town centres in the night in search for secure sleeping places.
The resident district commissioner, Walter Ochora, told journalists on Monday that commuter shelters had been ordered to close immediately.
Plans were underway to demolish the temporary structures, which were put up by agencies, Ochora added.
There are close to 200 children on the streets of Gulu, some of them from Juba in south Sudan, Adjumani, Nebbi, Kitgum, and Pader districts.
“The children on the streets will be rounded up by the Police and taken to a remand home at Pece village,†Ochora said.
Joseph Kilama, a protection officer, said many of the children had resorted to stay on the streets even when the villages were secure.
He noted that some of them had remained on the streets because of the poor relationships with their parents and guardians.
He added that the majority of the street children were orphans, whose parents died during the insurgency.
The district secretary for community services, Santa Oketta, said the children were becoming criminas.
“They are resorting to theft in order to survive,†she said.