A court in Kampala has instructed 88 mothers, aged between 20 and 35 years, to return to their home districts and discontinue sending their children to beg on the city streets.
The mothers appeared before the Magistrate Grade One Court at City Hall in Kampala, where they faced charges of sending a child to beg or solicit for alms in public, a violation of the Kampala Capital City Authority (Child Protection) Ordinance 2022.
These women, arrested with their children during the Non-Alignment Movement Summit earlier this year, pleaded guilty to the charge. Tearfully, they expressed their desire to return to Napak district, their place of origin, citing a commitment to engage in agriculture during the favorable season.
During the court proceedings, the women admitted to engaging in begging themselves and sending their children to do the same on the streets of Kampala. Some revealed being widows, while others stated a lack of knowledge about the fathers of their children, prompting their desperate actions to find food.
Prosecutor Hillary Musimenta emphasized the prevalence of solicitation in public places and advocated for appropriate action in response to the offense.
In response, Magistrate Edgar Karakire sentenced the women to one month of community service in Napak, their home district. He sternly instructed them to refrain from returning to the streets and to instead contribute positively to their communities.
Additionally, the women appealed to the court to facilitate access to their children, who were placed in Masulita Children’s Village in Wakiso District upon their arrest. Some mothers highlighted the health challenges faced by their children due to the lack of proper nutrition, which they attributed to their financial constraints in the city.
The group of convicted mothers includes Carol Sagali, Hellen Lagwana, Christine Namwir, Sylvia Rolit, Pauline Akule, Lucy Naka, Ruth Napulo, Veronica Achap, Hellen Abula, Maria Nagwel, Emmanuella Lokiyo, Sarah Lena, Ruth Osera, Maganderine Kodat, Christine Redo, Zina Acira, Veronica Sagali, Maria Leka, Lucia Chegemu, Esther Naikivu, and Stella Agnes, among others.
