Why Kabale, Bushenyi are leading in juvenile crimes

During recent celebrations in Kabale Town to mark the belated International Day of the African Child, held under the theme “Education for all children in Africa: The time is now,” Mr Henry Twinomuhwezi, the Kabale High Court registrar, while representing Justice Samuel Emokor, noted that since its inception, the Kabale Regional Remand Home has served 604 juveniles, among them 586 boys and 18 girls.

“At the family and children’s court, as well as the High Court, we observe an increase in both capital and civil juvenile offences, such as murder and rape. This is a threat to the future of young people and society at large,” Mr Twinomuhwezi said. 

“We are committed to ensuring speedy trials for all children in the justice system, facilitating early reunification with their families and continuity in their education, with the hope of reformation,” he added. 

Mr Twinomuhwezi highlighted challenges such as repeated offences, parenting gaps, and escapes from the national rehabilitation centre at Kampiringisa, which endanger juveniles and push them further into criminality.

In a separate interview on July 4, Kabale District Senior Probation Officer, Ms Monica Nzeirwe Muhumuza, acknowledged the statistics and attributed the high number of juvenile offenders to drug abuse and poor parenting. 

Her Bushenyi District counterpart, Ms Faith Amanya, cited similar reasons, adding that adult crime rates are also high in her area. Both officers emphasised community mobilisation and sensitisation campaigns to ensure children stay in school or participate in government wealth creation programmes such as youth livelihood funds and the Parish Development Model to prevent redundancy and criminal behaviour.

“During the Covid-19 lockdown, some children dropped out of school and turned to petty businesses. Post-lockdown, many did not return to school and remained idle, leading to criminal acts. We are working to keep children in school and enroll dropouts in government programs to prevent redundancy,” Ms Amanya said.

Additionally, 2,898 teenage girls in Kabale and Rubanda districts, aged 15 to 19, were impregnated between July 2023 and June 2024. Probation officers called for teamwork to reverse this trend by encouraging girls to stay in school. Ms Muhumuza reported 1,396 cases in Kabale, while Ms Joyce Kenganzi in Rubanda noted 1,502 cases over the same period.

“A total of 1,395 teenage girls aged 15 to 19 were impregnated in the last 11 months, with four minors under 15 also affected. Factors include peer pressure, poor parenting, lack of basic needs, uncontrolled internet access, and early marriages driven by material gain,” Ms Muhumuza explained. 
She added that drug abuse has led some teenage males into criminal behaviour, resulting in their detention at remand homes.

Ms Kenganzi attributed the high teenage pregnancy rates in Rubanda to poverty, limited education, lack of sexual and reproductive health education, cultural beliefs promoting early marriage, and parental neglect.

The Kabale District Vice Chairman, Ms Miria Tugume, reported a school dropout rate of 2.3 percent, with 75 percent of dropouts being boys who seek casual employment or early marriage. 

She condemned those luring children into early sex and called on government agencies to apprehend and prosecute the culprits.