Andante Okanya
2 July 2009
Kampala — THE King of Toro, Oyo Nyimba Rukidi IV, has called on parents and the Government to do more to protect children against child sacrifice.
Oyo said the practice, fuelled by selfish individuals bent on denying the African child the right to live a happy and purposeful life must be fought to safeguard the future generation.
"It is unfortunate that cases of child sacrifice for ritual purposes are on the increase," said Oyo.
Oyo was speaking at celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child at the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole in Kampala.
The day is observed every June 16.
Oyo, who was accompanied by the Toro Queen Mother, Best Kemigisha, also commended the NRM Government for empowering children through the free primary education.
He appealed to NGOs to work more closely with the Government and parents to ensure that children get the best out of their childhood.
The ceremony, attended by pupils from over 60 schools, was in memory of, the black school children who were maimed or killed in the 1976 Soweto Uprising during the apartheid regime in South Africa.
The children took to the streets to protest the inferior quality of education and demanded the right to be taught in their native language.
Titus Kisambira, the marketing manager of the stadium, said the venue was chosen because of the name 'Mandela' which is synonymous with the fight for freedom.
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