Tayebwa blames child sacrifice on backwardness

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, has blamed the rising acts of child sacrifice and human trafficking in the country on backwardness.

Mr Tayebwa called for inter-agency collaboration to put an end to the vice.

“I don’t know why someone thinks it (child sacrifice) is an issue of poverty. No way, no way, it is an issue of backwardness and is barbaric. Children are the future of our country. They are the future of humanity,” Mr Tayebwa said during a Hope International conference organised by Kyampisi Childcare Ministries (KCM) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kampala last Friday.

He added: “And you find that these people who commit acts of child sacrifice, when they are caught, they put aside money to bribe the system, this means they have the money but it is just backwardness.

“We need a new approach to this issue of human sacrifice because it is backwardness for someone to think that to build a hotel like Serena he must first sacrifice a person.”

The Deputy Speaker said he was going to push the minister of Justice to bring before Parliament the Witness Protection Bill so that witnesses, who testify in such cases, are protected.

“The Witness Protection Bill cannot be brought by a private member because of its financial implication on the Consolidated Fund,” Mr Tayebwa promised.

Mr Peter Sewakiryanga, the KCM chief executive director, raised concern about the delay to operationalise the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Act, 2021 as it impedes efforts to fight the vice.

Issue

He said according to the 2022 police crime report, a total of 532 cases of child trafficking were registered during the year while 205 abduction cases were reported.

During the same year, 2,530 cases of missing children and 245 cases of stolen children were reported, according to Mr Sewakiryanga. He said 90 percent of child sacrifice victims die.

He added that the numbers could be higher but many go unreported.

Mr Sewakiryanga said Buikwe, Mukono, Kayunga,Wakiso and Kampala districts have the highest prevalence of acts of child sacrifice and trafficking in central region.

Justice Jane Francis Abodo, the DPP, said acts of child sacrifice can only be fought through collaborations and partnerships.

The Hope International conference is an annual event held in honour of Hope Nakirijja, a child sacrifice survivor.

Nakirijja was tortured by her tormentors and left for dead. However, she was rescued, treated and given the name Hope to encourage other victims.

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