Last week, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforced the child protection law, arresting and remanding two women to Luzira prison for two months after pleading guilty of using their children to beg on the streets of Kampala.
Ruth Aboka, Santa Anyango, and Agnes Nakut were convicted by Justice Jane Tibagonzeka, at the City Hall Magistrate’s Court on Friday, while 23 other suspects were remanded to Luzira prison for using their children to beg on the streets.
The women have been charged with contravening the Kampala Capital City Child Ordinance law of 2022, which criminalizes sending a child to beg or solicit for alms in a public place, street, building, office, or any business or commercial establishment. The same ordinance states that no person should live off the proceeds of a child engaged in begging or soliciting for alms.
Commenting on the women convicted under the law, The Fatboy Show presenter Olive Najjuma thought the conviction will deter other women from engaging in the business.
“Maybe if the mothers are taught a lesson, they would think twice before sending the children onto the streets. I understand times are hard, but there are many poor countries in East Africa. Are they all sending children to the streets? In Rwanda, you will not find a street kid on the streets of Kigali,” she posited.
Olive asserted that most people are trafficked to send out and monitor the children begging and later collect the money from them.
Fatboy the co-host of the show, surmised that the children might be collecting handsome amounts of money by virtual of being children.
“I always try to stop myself but I will sometimes be cold and refuse to offer them money because in helping them, you essentially enable the lifestyle and they will never leave the streets,” Fatboy said.
Olive added that she offers the street children something to eat instead of money because they are usually hungry.
“Regarding women who send their children to the streets to beg or work, I think they are lazy. They want their children to be the parents instead of vice versa!” she wondered.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive, and Sarah every weekday from 6 am to 10 am on RX Radio.