Uganda: Activists Call for Urgent Action Against Rising Child Labor in Uganda

Child rights activists and government officials have called for urgent and coordinated action to combat the growing crisis of child labor in Uganda, warning that the practice continues to undermine national development and entrench millions of children in poverty.

The call was made during Uganda's national commemoration of International Child Labor Day 2025, held in Kampala under the theme "End Child Labor: Speed Up Action." The event brought together civil society organisations, women's rights groups, government agencies, development partners, and private sector stakeholders.

"We appreciate your invaluable contribution towards the elimination of child labor," said Esther Anyakun, Minister of State for Labour, Employment, and Industrial Relations, urging stakeholders to deepen collaboration in protecting children from exploitation.

She called on political leaders to stop involving children in electoral campaigns.

"Using children to distribute posters, stone vehicles, or incite violence puts their lives at risk. We must put an end to this," she said.

According to the 2019/2020 Uganda National Labour Force Survey, the number of children engaged in labor rose from 4 million to 6.2 million by 2021, a sharp increase largely attributed to the economic strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angella Kasule Nabwowe, Executive Director of the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), highlighted the strong link between poverty, limited access to education, and child labor.

"When schools fail, children end up in child labor, continuing the spiral of poverty," she said.

"If human capital development is to mean anything in our national development agenda, we must confront this issue head-on."

Minister Anyakun pledged that the government would strengthen enforcement and monitoring mechanisms to tackle child labor, working closely with civil society, local governments, and security forces.

"Our local council structures, especially at the parish and sub-county levels, must be engaged because they play a critical role in identifying and addressing child rights violations," she said.

"We also need to orient and support local leaders to ensure they effectively carry out their roles in child protection."

While reaffirming its commitment to ending child labor, the government acknowledged the complexity of the challenge.

Read the original article on Nile Post.