Cabinet approves Shs5.8b for street children resettlement plan
A street child takes a nap but keeps his hands stretched out. Young girls and women on the streets are at a risk of sexual violence. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA.
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Ms Nakiwala noted that last year, the ministry of gender labour and social development had requested for a supplementary funding of Shs3.4 billion and agreed that it is rolled out annually.
Cabinet has approved Shs5.8 billion for resettlement of street children.
This was revealed by the minister of state for youth and children affairs, Ms Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi during a media briefing in Kampala on Tuesday.
“Cabinet noted progress in the implementation of withdrawal, rehabilitation tracing and resettlement of the street children, and the objectives of the ongoing implementation of the street children action plan and this necessitated cabinet to approve Shs5.8 billion to enforce the strategic plan that was embarked on in June last year,” Ms Nakiwala said.
Ms Nakiwala noted that last year, the ministry of gender labour and social development had requested for a supplementary funding of Shs3.4 billion and agreed that it is rolled out annually.
She however, said the finance ministry released only Shs1 billion leaving a non-paid balance of Shs2.4 billion which now brings the total to Shs5.8 billion.
The minister said failure to release all the money undermined the implementation of the programme which started in June by her ministry in partnership with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
“Only one out of the Shs3.4 billion was released so we could not be able to achieve the entire work plan as we set out to do it. For example we could not reach out beyond Kampala City,” the minister added.
She said government plans to extend the operations beyond Kampala to areas like Wakiso and Busia , and other hotspots in other urban centres and northern Uganda.
She said a total of 725 children were rescued from the streets and are in their custody.
