Govt officials on the spot over detaining children

Four single mothers have accused officials of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development for illegally separating them with their children and refusing to return them.
According to information Sunday Monitor has received, on August 14, 2019, a number of officials raided a home in Katale - Bukwenda in Jomayi Katale Estates, Kikajjo Parish, Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District, and too away 15 children from their mothers. Out of these, the whereabouts of eight girls is still unknown.

Ms Shakira Wandera, Ms Josephine Zziwa, Ms Carolyne Adongo, and Ms Roselyn Asinde, all single mothers, had been staying together with their children in the home.

They accuse Gender ministry officials led by Mr Ronnie Mukiibi, a probation officer at Kyengera Town Council, Ms Joan Mukalazi, the community development officer at Kyengera Town Council, and Mr Zacheus Nyote, over their missing children.

The officers, with a policewoman and men attached to the Child and Family Protection Unit of Nsangi Police Station, are accused of having taken away the children.

Among the policewomen were officers only identified as Aguti, Apio and Akol. Also with them was the officer in-charge of Bukwenda Police Post only identified as Alex.

“They took away children from us and are now asking us to pay Shs5m if we want our children back,” Ms Wandera says.

It is now eight months since the children were taken.

“We were accused of trafficking our own children and we were locked up at Nsangi Police Post. Now they want money to release our children. We never asked them to take away our children, sometimes they call us for meetings at the Ministry of Gender and when we walk there, they just chase us away,” Ms Josephine Zziwa says.

Ms Zziwa is a widow. Her husband, who was a boda boda rider, was allegedly killed and his motorcycle robbed.

Ms Wandera says her husband left home six years ago and has never returned.

Another of the women, Ms Asinde, says she lost her home in Nansana, Wakiso District, to a bank over an unpaid loan. She and her husband separated, leaving her as a single mother of four children, one of whom is disabled.

How it happened
According to Ms Wandera, Mr Mukiibi, the probation officer from Kyengera Town Council, had been to the home in 2016 and 2017 on the instigation of some neighbours, who wanted them out of the home that was given to them by a one Abbas to stay in.

“They came and found us home, they said they wanted to see the children. We asked for their identifications but they refused to identify themselves. During the standoff, Mr Alex directed them to do what they came to do,” Ms Wandera says.

The women say they tried to resist in vain as the officials grabbed their children and pushed them into a waiting Ministry of Gender vehicle.

The children’s mothers say they continued to resist what they said was kidnapping of their children until the officer-in-charge Nalumunye Police Post, a one Bakiza, came and convinced them to let them take the children.

According to Ms Zziwa, three of them were taken together to Nsangi Police Station, while the vehicle with the wailing children headed in a different direction.

At Nsangi Police Station, Ms Zziwa says they found Mr Mukiibi, the District Police Commander (DPC) of Nsangi, Ms Susan Ikuku; and the officer-in-charge of the police station, Mr Samuel Lubega.

“The DPC ordered us to sit down. She told us we were charged with child trafficking. We asked how we can traffic our own children, she ordered that we are locked up,” Ms Zziwa says.

The three sisters were detained for three days on the charge of child trafficking, with Mr Mukiibi and Ms Mukalazi as the complainants.

On August 16, 2019, on of the women’s brothers, Mr Kenneth Oringo of Jinja District, stood surety for them and they were released from custody after their mother, Ms Damalie Oloka, confirmed with photos that the children in question were her grandchildren.

Ms Wandera, who had stayed behind to guard the home, narrates that after two days, Ms Jean Hope Kayeny, the Division CID officer of Nsangi; the investigating officer, a one Namboga, an unidentified woman, and a cameraman, returned to the house.

“They asked me to show them where the children sleep, their mosquito nets, mattresses, bed sheets, and blankets. Whatever I showed them, the photographer would put a number and photograph. He photographed cups, saucepans and plates, among others,” says Ms Wandera.

They asked where the children study from and were told the children had been going to Katale Progressive and Salvation in Bukoto, Kampala near their grandmother’s place.

“We had registered them in Kisaasi where they were supposed to begin school this year, but they never got to start because they were taken away from us,” she says.

The officers were taken to Kings Christian Academy in Kisaasi where it was confirmed the children had been enrolled.

State Attorney drops charges
As the women continued to report to the police in fulfillment of their bond conditions, the deputy CID of Nsangi, Ms Kayeny, told them they had confirmed the children were theirs and changed the charge to child neglect.

When the file was taken to the State Attorney at Kyengera Town Council, she requested to speak to each of the women. They narrated their stories and the State Attorney was convinced these were single mothers struggling to feed their children.

She dropped the charges, closed the file and ordered that the children are returned to their mothers.

Hunting for children in vain
“When we went to Ms Kayeny to get the children, she said the children cannot stay in Nalumunye and refused to return them,” Ms Wandera says.

Ms Kayeny promised to release the children to the grandmother or one of their uncles, a one Patrick, after she had inspected their homes.

Ms Kayeni requested for pictures of all family members. Ms Damalie Oloka, a former Ministry of Defence employee, presented her retirement identification.

Ms Kayeny then gave the family a number of a one Martin, whose true identity was later found to be Mr Zachaeus Nyote of the Ministry of Gender, for them to ask for the children.

Mr Nyote, the mothers says, threatened not to return the children before referring the mothers to Ms Joan Mukalazi.

Seeing no progress in the hunt, the mothers appealed to police headquarters, where Ms Kayeni was directed to take charge of the file. However, instead of taking the file, on September 14, 2019, Ms Kayeni wrote a police report to the regional CID, Kampala South, that she copied to Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

After failing to get help, the mothers sought audience with the State minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Ms Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, but they claim that policemen drove them out of her office.

On September 30, 2019, the four mothers jointly wrote to the Permanent Secretary at the Gender ministry, seeking the release of their children.

The Permanent Secretary instructed the Commissioner of Youth and Child Affairs, Mr Fred Ngabirano, to handle the matter.

Unable to find who was holding the children, the women gave him the number of a one Martin, who knew the whereabouts of the children. The commissioner discovered that Martin in question was Mr Nyote. He expressed surprise that the matter had been kept away from him for over three months.

Mr Nyote informed Mr Ngabirano that the girls were taken to Wilo International in Bbunga, Kampala while the boys were at Naguru Resettlement Centre.

Mr Ngabirano later arranged a meeting seeking to establish whether the mothers were trafficking the children.

During the meeting, attended by Mr Mukiibi and Ms Mukalazi, the commissioner told the mothers that the officers were in disagreement with the police report that said they were the mothers of the children. Mr Mukiibi and Ms Mukalazi insisted that the women were child traffickers.

The two officers produced pictures taken by the police Scenes of Crimes Officer (SOCO) supposedly to prove trafficking in children.

Ms Wandera reports that the commissioner rejected claims that the dilapidated house in which the women lived with their children and failure to educate them amounted to child trafficking.
He ordered the women to make the children ready to be returned to the community in Bukwenda - Katale to establish whether the women were the biological mothers of the children. Mr Ngabirano further directed that the mothers are given all the reports, including one from Kyengera Town Council and Nsangi Police Post that had earlier been denied to them.

However, Mr Ngabirano allegedly traveled to Brazil before concluding the case.

Transfer of case
The case was later handed to Ms Stella Ogwang, the principal probation welfare officer in the Ministry of Gender.

“We have held so many meeting with Ms Ogwang, Mr Nyote and John Mugisha but they have refused to give us our children,” says Ms Wandera.

In one of the meetings, the women were told to bring their husbands. Two of the women, Ms Asinde and Ms Adongo took them, but Ms Ogwang still refused to release the children.

The husband to Ms Asinde allegedly asked Ms Ogwang to release to him their physically disabled son, Aaron Muntu, but Ms Ogwang still refused.

Ms Ogwang allegedly gave conditions to the women to commit themselves in writing showing where the children were going to stay, take bankslips, school uniforms and the school where the children were going to study. She said she did not want the children in Katale - Bukwenda.

Ms Ogwang later allegedly offered to release the children to their uncle in Jinja on condition that they give her Shs250,000 to travel to Jinja to inspect his home.

The ladies reported a case of denial to access their children at the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). Ms Aidah Namaganda of UHRC intervened and even offered to facilitate the journey but she (Ms Ogwang) later refused to go, insisting that even drivers needed allowances.

Ms Zziwa narrated how they were visited by Ms Doris from the Naguru Reception Centre, saying they were going to return the children. “When they got here, they asked us to bring out saucepans, charcoal stoves, mattresses and show them where the boys sleep and where girls sleep,” Ms Zziwa says.

After the women reported to the UHRC, on December 20, 2019, Ms Ogwang took the women to Naguru Reception Centre where, the women met their children for the first time.

“We found when our children had been tortured, the young ones who insisted on asking for his mother would be dumped in cold water and beaten to keep quiet,” Ms Wandera says quoting Grace Namukisa, the 15-year-old, who insisted on staying with the younger boys at the reception centre.

While the mothers were at the centre to see their children, the organisation with the girls took two of the girls (Deborah Kusasira and Rebeccah Sanyu) to their house in Katale - Bukwenda and were told their mothers had abandoned the place. According to neighbours, the girls tried to resist to be taken back but were dragged back into a van and driven back.

Ms Zziwa alleges that Ms Ogwang wants her to relocate to the village.

“My husband, Peter Zziwa, died in 2012. His people have never given me anything for my children, now that is where they want me to go with the children,” Ms Zziwa say, adding that she can manage her children.

The mothers allege that on December 23, 2019 when they were called to a similar meeting at the Ministry of Gender, their house was broken into.

The women later reported a case of burglary at Nalumunye Police Post. According to the women, when they asked for police to escort them to the house, they refused and they (women) too feared to sleep in the house.

The thieves allegedly stole two bags, children’s immunisation cards, a laptop and two land titles and several documents related to ring fencing. The women claim the thieves were looking for documents given to them by Mr Ngabirano.

According to Ms Zziwa, last month, a man who identified himself as Peter called her on 0777759207 (registered to Ali Kiwalabye) to send him Shs5m on number 0775607599 in the names of Teddy Nakawuka. However, this number in registered to Alex Kamusiime.

Mr Charles Kakonge, the chairperson of Katale - Bukwenda, Kikajjo Parish Kyengera Town Council in Nsangi, says: “I have no records to show that 15 children were taken from my area. Even my bosses at Kyengera Town Council have never contacted me on the matter.”

By press time, our efforts to contact the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Mr Pius Bigirimana, were futile.

Ms Stella Ogwang said she would explain after the ongoing lockdown. “Come to my office after the lockdown, I will explain to you,” Ms Ogwang said.

According to a report by Ms Mukalazi, she wrote: “The office has observed that more investigations have to be carried out about the case as the information provided is contradicting. The children should in the meanwhile stay in the custody of the Gender Ministry until investigations are concluded.” When asked about the claims about child trafficking or neglect, Ms Zziwa asserts that their children were not found on the street.

“We are single mothers, we have to fend for our children but above all, our children were found inside the house. How can they claim we neglected our children,” Ms Zziwa says.

She is joined by Ms Wandera who is implicating some of the neighbors in wanting to grab the said plot.

“One of our neighbours had been trying to grab this plot, so our presence here has made it difficult for them to achieve their aim. That is why they use officers from Kyengera Town Council to claim we were trafficking children, when that failed, they are now saying child neglect,” Ms Wandera says.

The women are wondering why even Ms Ogwang, a government officer, is insisting that they (women) leave the house.

However, the women have vowed to stay in the house, saying they were permitted by Ms Irene Harriet Namubiru, who stays in Norway, to occupy her house. They also claim their children are mentally tortured.

Ms Damalie Oloka, the grand mother, says she had given up after being tossed up and down.

“I even involved my former PS, Ms Byengoma. I am only worried about the health of my grandchildren who are in the reception centre,” Ms Oloka says, blaming Ms Ogwang for their plight.

The State minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Ms Nakiwala Kiyingi, questioned why children were taken from their biological mothers.

“It is not enough to say they have no toilet but then abuse the children’s rights by denying them access to their mothers. I have asked them whether they found the children on the streets,” she said.

She dismissed the issues raised by Ms Ogwang. “If there is an issue, it can be handled by LCs, saying that children do not have where to sleep is wrong because 58 per cent of Ugandans live under unclear circumstances. If it were not for the lockdown, these children should have been released immediately,” she said.

The minister saw no merit in holding the children and promised to release the children to their mothers after the Covid-19 lockdown. Ms Nakiwala also promised to reprimand the officers for abusing the rights of the 15 children.

Sunday Monitor visited the house and found bananas grown in the compound. Inside the semi complete house had been freshly plastered and a garage door, main door and back door fixed in what the women say was an attempt to fulfill the conditions set by the Ministry of Gender.

Sunday Monitor failed to find the address of Wilo International in Muyenga, Kampala, where the eight girls were allegedly taken.

List of children
race Namukisa, 15 years (Naguru reception centre). Winfred Biyinzika, 11years (whereabouts unknown). Sheila Kukiriza, 9 years (whereabouts unknown). Anita Kwagala, 7 years (whereabouts unknown)

Roselyn Asinde’s children
Aaron Muntu, 9 years disabled (Naguru Reception centre). Elijah Muntun, 8 years, (Naguru Reception centre). Praise Muntu, 6years, (Naguru Reception Centre). Israel Muntu, 4 years, (Naguru Reception Centre)

Carolyne Adongo’s children
Natalia Midi, 9years (whereabouts unknown). Queen Esther Rise, 4 years (whereabouts unknown)

Shakira Wandera’s children
Deborah Kusasira, 14 years (whereabouts unknown). Rebecca Sanyu, 11 years (whereabouts unknown). Amos Mulungi, 9 years Naguru Reception Centre). Ezekiel Muwanguzi, 6 years (Naguru Reception Centre).