The Anglican Archbishop, His Grace Dr Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has expressed displeasure with the Government for lack of political will to end rampant migration of children to the streets of Kampala.
The Archbishop was preaching to the congregation during Christmas service at the All Saints Cathedral in Nakasero, Kampala on Saturday.
Government estimates there are at least 15,000 homeless children in Kampala aged between 7 and 17.
According to the Archbishop, the country faces a time bomb from such vulnerable children who may end up into criminal gangs or habitual offenders if a strategic intervention is not sought to sustainably address their future needs.
Dr Kaziimba quoted the Book of Mathew 5:14 (You are the light of the world), and urged the church to celebrate Christmas as Christ’s birth and God’s unspeakable gift to the world by showing love; remembering and sharing resources with the helpless and underprivileged.
Responding to the Archbishop’s sermon, Diana Kasoro, a concerned mother observed that the required intervention to rid the streets of homeless children in Kampala is long overdue, adding that Government must show political will to end the vice because there are individuals who benefitting from it.
Meanwhile, Polly Philip Okin Ojara, the Chua West County MP in Kitgum District also responded saying the question of street kids requires a motion to be raised and debated on the floor of Parliament to comprehensively address the vice.
Many children end up on the streets in the world because of various and complex reasons such as substance abuse, urbanization, family breakdown, domestic violence, discrimination, war, HIV/AIDS, poverty, abusive household environment and displacement due to natural disasters.
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Government should rehabilitate the street kids.