By Leonard Kamugisha, Lisa Nsaba and Godiver Asege
Government has instructed Community Development Officers (CDOs) to
close all unlicensed children’s homes in their respective districts by
the 30th of this month.
This follows the government’s decision earlier this month, to close
all orphanages that do not have a certificate from the ministry of
Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD).
This decision was made after a number of studies which suggested that
child institutionalization is associated with negative consequences
for children’s development. An inspection conducted last year, found
that half of over 300 babies and children’s homes in the country were
not registered.
The State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Florence Nakiwala
Kiyinji, said that closing the illegal home will ease the tracking of
children to know their exact number, which will help in their
resettlement.
Nakiwala said this while officiating the distribution of motorcycles
of the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) and computers under the Uganda
Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) at MGLSD store at Kireka
Rehabilitation Centre in Kireka yesterday, 26th June.
She said licenses orphanages have offered space to the children who
will be affected because of the closing of the illegal homes.
“The legal homes cannot get full, because when the children are
brought in, they are resettled into their homes so there is always
space for others coming in,” Nakiwala explained.
While handing over the equipment, Nakiwala, says the key role of the
ministry is to ensure that people are facilitated to enable them
perform their work effectively. She assured the CAOs and the Clerks of
the ministry’s commitment to continue providing facilitations to
support the programmes.
The Permanent Secretary, MGLSD, Pius Bigirimana, asked CAOs and Clerks
to follow up treasury instructions and avoid the misuse and of the
equipment received.
“The ministry has been receiving reports about the mismanagement of
government motorcycles for boda boda business. Ensure that the
motorcycles are used for the purposes they have been given to you not
for personal activities,” Bigirimana said.
He also clarified on the miscommunications of failure by some Youth
Groups to pay back the funds given to them in the Youth Livelihood
Programme.
“Not all the money given to Youth Livelihood Programme is due, because
payments to this money have different maturity dates. So payments are
done according to the work plans,” Bigirimana said.
He added that so far Ug Shs18.6b out of the Ug Shs 30b that is due of
the YLP fund has been recovered which is 62%. Also, Ug Shs 2.7b of the
UWEP funds has been recovered out of Ug Shs 4.7b given out.
Bigirimana commended Bushenyi and Kisoro districts for their political
and technical leadership which helped them excel in recovery of the
allocated funds in the programmes in time.
161 motorcycles and 163 computers were distributed to all
municipalities and districts exept Kampala Capital City Authority and
Makindye Sebugabo municipality which will be planned for in the next
financial year.
This equipment shall be used by focal point persons for YLP and UWEP
in monitoring and supervision of the programmes in their
municipalities and districts.
