RUKUNGIRI – The office of the Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) has warned individuals against employing children under the age of 18, threatening to arrest and prosecute anyone found violating the law.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The warning was delivered by the Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Dickens Muhoozi, who expressed grave concern over the increasing exploitation of minors under the guise of domestic or casual work.
Speaking candidly, Muhoozi revealed a disturbing trend in which children are taken from their parents under the pretence of being offered safe employment in homes, only to be subjected to harsh working conditions in bars and other hazardous environments.
“This practice is illegal and must stop immediately. We are sending a clear message to all employers and agents: the law does not tolerate the exploitation of children. Anyone caught in this vice will face the full force of the law, and there will be no exceptions,” Muhoozi declared.
Muhoozi stressed that parental oversight is critical in preventing child abuse, calling on parents to move beyond hearsay and take proactive steps to protect their children.
He advised that parents must personally visit their children’s workplaces to verify the nature of the work and living conditions, rather than relying on verbal assurances from employers.
“Parents must not rely on hearsay that their child has gotten a job in a particular home or establishment. They have a duty to visit those places personally, verify the nature of the work, and see the conditions their children are living and working in. A child’s welfare is non-negotiable, and parental oversight is critical in preventing abuse,” he emphasised.
The Assistant RDC has announced a sweeping operation to identify and remove children loitering on Rukungiri’s streets during school hours, as part of a broader strategy to curb child neglect.
He described the growing number of street children as unacceptable, with the operation aimed at rescuing them and holding guardians accountable for their welfare.
Muhoozi further called for public cooperation, urging parents, community leaders, and employers to join authorities in reporting cases of child labour and neglect as a collective societal duty.
Child labour remains entrenched in Uganda, with a 34% prevalence in Busoga’s sugar and rice chains and a rising crisis in the coffee sector, where poverty, land loss, and school dropouts drive an estimated 6.2 million children into hazardous work.
Progress includes community monitoring in Kalungu and a Busoga intervention that rescued 1,270 children and trained 6,700 others, cutting rates from 40.6%, while Shs2 billion in the 2025/2026 budget boosts the fight.
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