Patrick Jaramogi
7 January 2008
Kampala — A TOTAL of 30 minors, who were arrested to rid Busia town of vagabonds during the Commonwealth summit preparations, are still languishing in Masafu Prison, The New Vision has learnt.
Aged between 13 and 17, they were rounded up by the Police between August and November last year.
"A big number of street children were rounded up and sent to Masafu Prison. They are still there because we do not have where to keep them. They share cells with adults," Michael Mugenyi, the Busia town council mayor, said recently.
Mugenyi said the children were charged with being idle and disorderly.
"They had become a security threat to the district. We had no better option than keeping them in prison."
The district crime chief, Jackson Tumwine, said: "The law stipulates that any child above 12 years is criminally liable for prosecution, so we don't see any problem with keeping them at Masafu."
But the state minister for children and youth affairs, Maj. James Kinobe, said: "Being idle and disorderly is no longer a crime. The children must be released and transferred to a juveniles' remand home."
"Keeping these children with adult suspects contravenes the child conventions. The commissioner for youth and children should follow up this matter and find a better alternative for them."
The gender and labour minister, Syda Bbumba, said minors sharing a jail with adults was wrong.
"This is unacceptable. The juveniles will become hardcore criminals after mixing with thugs in the prison. They should be sent to remand homes or a children reception centre."
The commissioner for children and youth, Willie Otim, said there is only one children's remand home in Mbale that caters for eastern Uganda.
Busia district Police commander Isaac Amanya, said some of children were already hardened criminals. "We have never arrested children during our operations but some people in society still regard these hardcore gangsters as minors. We have reports that some of them have guns and engaged in serious crimes."
Amanya said the Police's effort to curb crime in the district had been jeopardised by the community that condones crime.
"Children are always in bars and video halls during school days. When schools complain and we round them up, parents come complaining. We need children who shall be upright citizens tomorrow."
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