Keep children off rallies, parents told
Rubirizi District inspector of schools Benon Tumusiime (R) poses with some pupils of Busingye Memorial Primary School in Rubirizi District last Friday. PHOTO BY FELIX AINEBYOONA.
Rubirizi. Rubirizi District inspector of schools Benon Tumusiime has asked parents to keep their children away from participating in political campaign rallies during the holidays.
Speaking at Busingye Memorial Primary School speech day in Rutoto Sub-county, Bunyaruguru in Rubirizi last Friday, Mr Tumusiime said children face a lot of problems at rallies, including accidents.
“During NRM primaries, we lost a Primary Six pupil in Ndekye Trading Centre. He was knocked dead by a vehicle at a rally, keep our children safe,” Mr Tumusiime said.
He warned politicians who use children at their rallies to stop the habit.
He requested security agencies to help in stopping pupils from accessing campaign grounds since they cannot protect them.
Ms Consolate Mwebembezi, a parent, said politicians and their agents are using children to distribute campaign materials like posters because they do not ask for a lot of money and sometimes they are willing to volunteer.
“Political agents lure our children into distributing campaign materials, as well as pinning up posters, which puts their lives in danger. We ask government to help us and deal with such politicians,” she said.
The Resident District Commissioner, Mr Kule Murenga, said they would arrest any politician who uses children in his campaigns, especially for pinning of posters since using juveniles in any form of labour is criminal, according to Uganda’s laws.
