Levis Onegi
4 January 2009
opinion
Kampala — RECENTLY media reports carried a story "100 children go missing in one month."
This story, coupled with the gruesome media reports of missing body parts of children ritually murdered, should send cold shivers down the spines of Ugandans.
The Government should issue a strong warning followed by a speedy legalislative process to stem out ritual murders.
The 1995 constitution upholds the right to life as well as the special protection of children. Uganda should further be reminded that she is a signatory to various international legal instruments with clear provisions for the protection of children that binds it to promoting and securing the rights of the child.
In his book Sowing the Mustared Seed the President says he is the protector of the vulnerable, that is why he launched a guerrilla war to liberate poor Buganda and Ankole peasants in the Luwero Triangle. Child sacrifice bears the same magnitude of suffering that requires liberation.
I suggest the following measures to all stakeholders in order to stop child sacrifice: the President should address the nation, clearly warning witchdoctors and presenting a speedy course of Government action against child sacrifice.
Secondly, the Government should come up with practical community programmes to fight this evil. Programmes like creating a specialised unit within, the Internal Security Organisation, launching a nation-wide media campaign, creating awareness among village chiefs, elders and local councils, on all child-related criminal activities, especially child sacrifice and trafficking.
Thirdly, the Government should institute a special court within the Court Martial for a speed trial of the suspects.
This is because child sacrifice has reached terrorism levels. Notwithstanding that the Police are easily comprised.
Finally, civil society organisations should produce posters to be distributed countrywide on child sacrifice as well as protection measures.
The writer is a consultant for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Ethiopia
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