Bishop warns parents against sending children to relatives for holidays

Luweero Anglican Diocese Bishop Wilson Kisekka has cautioned parents against arranged children holidays with relatives, undermining children's safety.

Bishop Kisekka advised parents to ensure monitored visits noting that whereas it is a good idea to keep family bonds with distant relatives, children safety through abductions, sexual harassment, risk of accidents and moral decay are among the many challenges that children that lack parental care face in the modern society. He said such influences are common during school holidays. 

“We have cases where children have been abducted, sexually molested, among many challenges while in the hands of distant relatives. Yet parents are now quick to send children away from their respective homes to have the long holidays with relatives. This vice should stop,” he said on Thursday October 31.

The bishop was giving his sermon at the Prayer Day organized at Labour Junior School in Wakyato Subcounty, Nakaseke District. He said safety can only be guaranteed when parents learn to take full responsibility for their own children.

“You should not expect the relatives to take the necessary care for a child when you cannot do the same. Young girls including boys are sexually abused and many girls get defiled. We don’t want you to give excuses when the girl children get defiled out of your own negligence,” Kisekka told the parents.

For the children, the home is the only safe area. You children should tell your parents that you want to be around to help with the different home cores including learning extra skills. You should not be pushed to go and stay with relatives if you already know about the bad environment that can ruin your own life. Be open to your parents and tell them about your experience with some of the relatives, Bishop Kisekka who also blessed 30 primary seven candidates at Labour Day Junior School advised.

Workers MP Arinaitwe Rwakajara on Thursday said moral decay is evident in sections of the community where children spend time after school. As parents we have the obligation to protect our children from the possible dangers. It is unfortunate that even the parents have no time for the children.

“Am a member of Parliament and a father but my attachment to the lives of the youth and children in particular is complete when I get stories of children abused sexually including all other forms of child rights abuse,” he said.

According to Ms Rosemary Rwabashaija, the RDC Nakaseke the defilement cases in Nakaseke are overwhelming.

“I have been forced to go to the police several times because of many things that don’t go well as they handle suspected defilement cases. Some cases are mishandled and compromised before they get to Court,” she said.

We are also fighting the vice of child marriages. It is a big prom in parts of Nakaseke, the RDC reveals.

The annual Police Crime Report for 2023 puts the figure of the children defiled at 13,144 with 12,818 being female while the male are 326 were male.

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