In 2008 we started to see a sharp rise in the number of children murdered for ritual purposes in Uganda. Poverty being the number one driver of this horrendous practice.
As many will remember, this was the era of the economic depression that affected almost all businesses as well as contributing to job losses worldwide.
Fast forward to 2020, and the global pandemic hits like a hot potato, BOOM!! What do you think has happened to jobs and businesses especially following a prolonged lockdown? You guessed right; economic hardships yet again; do you see how the cycle repeats itself? Ignorant and ruthless men and women racing to behead young children to solve the slowed down business?
Let’s not even talk about the soon approaching elections in Uganda which create a special demand for human sacrifice. Children are slaughtered like chicken. I will get into this another day.
Back to our present situation, Ugandan children have been out of school for eight months now and counting. You can imagine how their little creative minds are suggesting ideas of visiting friends and relatives making it even easier for the hunters of human life.
You might think: well, the Ugandan government has deployed LDUs (Local Defence Units) to patrol the communities so they must be looking out for the children. Well think again. If that were the case, three children all murdered in the same month, in just a matter of days, would have been investigated and the criminals behind bars by now, but no - they are walking free.
Evidently the government will move mightily to ensure advancement of any agenda that is directly of interest to its leaders yet lag, as though carrying the heaviest elephant on their backs, when it comes to ensuring the safety of children.
The Bill is supposed to lead the making of a law in the constitution against child sacrifice with specific punishments should the law be broken. This agenda has however reached a place of zero motion and you may wonder why. The ministry of finance has said: “the ministry could not issue a certificate of financial implication because the Bill introduces new costs and a new office which have an impact on the Consolidated Fund.”
Let me offer my interpretation; your child and mine are not priority to our government and therefore not worth adding to the Consolidated Fund.
My thinking is the case would be different if any of the minister’s children was to be a victim of child sacrifice and I don’t mean I wish this on any child! God no!
We now have to find out the new costs suggested by the Ministry Of Finance should the bill be passed, then permission must be granted by the government to fund it outside of the Consolidated Fund.
Alternatively, we could appeal to the ministers to consider attending to this Bill without pay as a way of giving back to their constituents, they would pledge allegiance during their campaigns.
I am dedicating my efforts to gathering information and analyzing it in order to create a visual of where we are and where we are going until we have government action on this subject.