By Moses Ntare
The Ntungamo district woman MP Beatrice Rwakimaari has decried the rampant cases of child neglect attributing to early marriages and failure by parents to play their sole responsibilities across the country.
Hon Rwakimaari lamented that child battering, defilement, and cultures that allow early marriages and sexual harassment have persisted calling the government and local leaders to enforce the laws on child protection to deter such vice in the country.
She emphasizes on education as the only tool a parent can give a child develop for the next generations rather than getting marriage at an early stage.
She made remarks ahead of belated celebrations of the Day of African Child for Ntungamo district to be held on Friday 20th.July 2018 at Kyamate play ground Ntungamo municipality under the theme ‘’Leave no child behind for Africa’s development’’.
The Day of the African Child has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the OAU Organization of African Unity.
It honors those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day.
The Kajara county MP Timuzigu Michael Kamugisha challenged parents to stop domestic violence saying that it is cited as the one of the root cause of child abuse and neglect.
Timuzigu advised marriage couples to embrace family planning methods for child spacing and produce children that they can afford.
The Ntungamo district education officer Arigye Odo expressed concern over the sexual harassment in schools in Ntungamo district which has forced some school going children to drop out of the schools.
However, Arigye vowed to apprehend all culprits to courts of law in order to protect the dignity and rights of children.
ends
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