The world recently commemorated the world day against child labour on 12^th June 2024 and the theme for this year was “Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour”. This theme clearly states that there are already commitments to end child labour however action and enforcement of these commitments is wanting. This perhaps is the at the core of the continuance of child labour in Uganda.

The term ‘child labour’ is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. The children act of Uganda defines child labour as children aged 5–11 years engaged in any economic activity; children 12–13 years doing work other than light work beyond 14 hours a week”; or children 14–17 years involved in hazardous forms of labour or working for an equivalent of 43 hours or more in a week.

Uganda is in Sub Saharan Africa which according to statistics has the highest number of children under child labour. Uganda, according to national estimates has 18 % of children aged between 5–17 engaged in child labour and most of these children are engaged in the agricultural sector although they are also engaged in other sectors such construction, mining, domestic work, industry and manufacturing as well as commercial exploitation.

Many of children are drawn into child labour or forced into it by tough economic situations arising from mainly poverty that was worsened by the recent Covid 19 pandemic and its associated problems such as closure of schools for nearly the whole year without appropriate structures to handle children away from school.

Uganda has been ambitious in its fight to end child labour through legal and policy commitments to the prohibition of child labour. Children like in all other parts of the world are valued and protected under its legal framework. The constitution of Uganda provides under article 34 for the rights of children which among other things include a child’s entitlement to be protected from social or economic exploitation and shall not be employed in or required to perform work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with their education or to be harmful to their health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. This is also provided for in section 8 and section 8A of the children’s act that prohibits harmful employment and sexual exploitation. Uganda has also put in place the national child policy 2020 that covers prohibition of child labour. Uganda has also made a commitment to lunch and operationalise the Uganda National Action Plan for the elimination of child labour.

Uganda thus has the necessary legal and policy framework. It must act on it!

Uganda must put in place measures to raise awareness among employers about child labour and equally strengthen efforts of the justice law and order sector to take cognisance of child labour and increase focus on it through targeted efforts of the police, courts of law and community-based institutions. Targeted inspection efforts also must be made to inspect children work mostly in the informal sector.

A sustainable solution child labour is through education which is through equipping children with skills and vocational training to enable them access employment and a source of livelihood.

Uganda can also put in place measures to raise awareness about child labour in schools and the problems associated with it. This can also include making children stake holders in this fight and empowering them with education to speak out against child labour in their communities and encourage community leaders to stand with them in this fight.

With these measures in place, Uganda can join the world in its target to end child labour by 2050 and back up its commitments with action.

Nuwe Ahereza Marvin