POOR PARENTING LEADS TO HIGH CHILD OFFENDERS IN KASESE.

The problem of poor parenting in Kasese district is leading to the increased cases of Child Offenders, according to the District Probation Officer Mr. Sowed Kitanywa.

On October 4, one of the National dailies carried a story from the Fort Portal Remand home showing that the district leads the rest of the six districts in the Rwenzori sub-region with child offenders.

The statistics then showed that with 19 child inmates 12 of them on capital offense, Kasese has the highest number. Elsewhere, Kabarole has 10, Ntoroko and Kyenjojo have two each while Bundibugyo had one.

Mr. Kitanywa in an interview with this blog revealed that most of the parents whose children commit offenses have not cooperated with the local council leaders, the police and probation office.

He said the process of diversion of cases at the police has been failed by the unreliable parents. diversion of cases means the offender and the offended to mediated by the police in order to come to terms.

Another reason Mr. Kitanya advances for the highest number of child offenders is the high population of Kasese. He said that with the population projected to be close to 800000, the district must be having many children compared to other districts hence the higher number of child offenders.

At the Kasese Central Police station, the Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU) receives over 100 children related cases monthly.

The Officer in charge of CFPU Mr. Wilson Kathembo Sibuyitholwa said that most the cases at police are of child neglect. He said that such neglected children end up on the streets from where they can commit several offenses.

Mr. Sibuyitholwa said that in July alone, about 130 children cases were handled and the parties counseled before sending them back to the community.

The probation officer, Mr. Sowed Kitanywa said that with the records from police, it is shows that there is a good trucking system in which most of the offenses committed by the children are detected.

He said that in a district where the systems of law enforcement are uncoordinated, few child offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.

The Programs Coordinator for Kasese District Mediators Association which works on children rights Mr. Asuman Mwesige, called for consorted efforts in the implementation of the relevant laws that protect the children and also preventing them from committing crimes.

Mr. Mwesige said that the Children’s Act and the Kasese District Child Protection Ordinance have not been implemented at all levels adding that it is the reason most people are less concerned about the law.

The Kasese District Child Protection Ordinance was approved by the district council in early 2012 with support from Save the Children in Uganda.  But most of the issues it need to address like child labour, sale of alcohol in shops, the opening and closing time of the video  halls among others have still remain a burden in the district.

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