Sixteen rescued children stranded in Luweero

Luweero Child Reception Centre, where the children are being kept. Photo by Daniel Wandera

LUWEERO-Sixteen children who were rescued from an illegal children’s  home at God’ Power Revival Church at Kalule, Luweero District are yet to be re-united with their respective families, one week after their liberation.

The children who include 15 girls and one boy were rescued in an operation conducted by police and Luweero District security officials.

 The children who were supposed to be re-united with their respective parents are still stranded at Luweero Child Reception Centre, a temporally home jointly managed by the Child and Family Protection Unit of the Uganda Police and Luweero District Probation Office.

“The children are yet to be picked. We have contacted some of the parents using the telephone contacts availed to us by the children,” Ms Doreen Ninsiima, the Regional Child and Family Protection Unit Officer for Savana Region said on Friday.

They are from the districts of Bukomansimbi, Kasese, Budaka, Ntungamo, Buikwe, Bugiri, Masaka and Wakiso. They were reportedly picked from their respective parents by Pastor Kefa Musinguzi of God’ Power Revival Church located at Kalule village in Luweero District after convincing the parents that he had got sponsorship for their studies.

Pastor Musinguzi who was arrested by police, is currently out of jail on police bond.

Police say, he is likely to be charged with human trafficking.

Luweero District Probation Officer, Ms Joyce Namigadde ruled out the possibility of allowing the children to go back to Pastor Musinguzi’s Church or the illegal home.

“We are supposed to hand over these children to the rightful parents and guardians. We cannot allow these children to go back to an illegal home which is now under investigation by police, Ms Namigadde said.