Report Warns of Worsening Child Labour in Refugee Settlements and Busoga
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has sounded alarm over rising child labour in refugee-hosting districts and Busoga, citing poverty, weak enforcement, and harmful cultural practices as key drivers.
Unveiling a policy brief in Kampala, LWF Country Representative Adriana Franco Chitanana said, “This brief sheds light on the urgent challenges and, more importantly, the practical solutions needed to end child labour, particularly among refugee populations, vulnerable host communities, and in the Busoga region.”
The report exposes children forced into sugarcane cutting, sand mining, charcoal burning, street hawking, and transactional sex—many dropping out of school permanently.
UCU law lecturer Edrine Wanyama noted that more than 712 child-headed families were recorded in refugee settlements by mid-2024, warning, “In regions like Busoga, children are denied education and exposed to exploitation, abuse, and long-term poverty traps.”
Minister of State for Labour Esther Davinia Anyakun linked the crisis to refugee inflows and land loss. “Families have lost land, their main form of livelihood.
They are compelled to withdraw their children from school and send them to the sugarcane plantations,” she said. She reaffirmed government’s duty, citing Article 34(4) of the Constitution, and revealed UGX 2 billion has been earmarked in the 2025/26 budget to intensify the fight.
The brief calls for stronger funding for labour officers, tougher policing of child labour hotspots, and active community mobilization. Chitanana appealed for joint action.
“Together, we can ensure that every child enjoys a life of dignity—free, protected, and full of promise. But this requires bold, coordinated action from governments, civil society, and the private sector.”
