Child rights advocates together with the parliamentary forum on children are demanding government for the certificate of financial implication to allow the tabling of the prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice and harmful bill before parliament for the first reading.
Addressing a joint media conference today in Kampala, Hon, Robert Ntende a member of the parliamentary forum for children attributes the continued acts of child sacrifice to the absence of the law to address the vice.
He demands that parliament fast tracks the passing of the prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice and harmful bill into law before the 11th parliament.
However, associate director advocacy at world vision, Irene Kayoga says, that the new story of a suspect appearing at the premises of parliament with a child’s head was not only shocking but a blow to their long term struggle for child protection.
Kayoga further states that such isolated incidents are among the many which go unnoticed leaving families, relatives and communities of the victims affected, which calls for the passing of the anti-human sacrifice bill into law. “Life sacrificed is a life ended prematurely, a family left in distress, a community living in fear and an economy denied of a human resource.” Says, Irene Kayoga.
Reading from, “Acts, 3:16”, the coordinator children’s program in the church of Uganda, Rev. Richard Rukundo asked Ugandans to turn back to the reality of life free of sin.
Ochor Godfrey is a father to Jessy who early this year survived being sacrificed by their neighbor in Makindye-Mubarak zone. He is also still calling for justice to prevail against the perpetrators.
Ochor’s son’s arm was cut off among other body parts by the inhumane neighbor and seeing his son without some of the body parts makes him shade tears.
Since the start of this year, out of the 26 who have gone missing, 14 have lost their lives to the inhuman acts of human sacrifice.
Further, child rights advocates are now worried that such acts are likely to increase as the country ushers in the electoral season which comes at a time when children are at home in the covid19 lock-down.