As Uganda joined the rest of the continent to commemorate the Day of the African Child, the Civil Society Groups have called for a more equitable and targeted approach in planning and budgeting for children’s rights, urging government and stakeholders to go beyond legal frameworks and ensure impactful service delivery.
Carol Namagembe, Deputy Executive Director at CSBAG, lauded the theme for this year’s celebration, noting that it offered an important opportunity for countries to reflect on the progress made in budgeting for children.
“We are very excited that this year, the Day of the African Child focused on allowing countries to reflect on the progress made in planning and budgeting for children’s rights,” she said.
Namagembe acknowledged Uganda’s commendable strides in integrating child protection into the national development agenda, citing Vision 2040 and the National Development Plans III and IV as positive indicators.
“Looking at the planning framework in Vision 2040, as well as NDP III and IV, we see that issues around protection are integrated into the development plans,” she said.
However, she warned that these commitments must be matched with efficient resource allocation and utilisation if they are to yield tangible benefits for children, especially the most vulnerable.
“Whereas the money is available, it is not addressing the vulnerabilities our children are facing. For example, if you look at children in Karamoja, you cannot compare them to those in the same class in Kasese — the gap is significant,” she emphasised.
Namagembe also highlighted the low completion rates in Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) system and the unsatisfactory numeracy levels among learners, despite improved enrolment rates.
“It is good to look at child welfare wholesomely. It will be unfair to look at it in isolation,” she noted.
CSBAG expressed concern over the growing national debt burden and its implications on key sectors affecting children’s welfare.
“In the recently approved budget, we see around 37% of the Shs 72 trillion is going to debt servicing. That means that the money we would have required to serve the needs in education, health for children, and in the justice sector is being diverted to pay back debt,” Namagembe said.
She further cited the National Planning Authority’s capitation grant recommendations, pointing out that the current allocations fall short of the ideal Shs 50,000 per child for urban schools and Shs 70,000 per child for rural schools.
The disparity in child welfare outcomes between urban and rural children was also brought to light.
“Children in poverty-stricken communities are struggling with stunting, lack of dietary diversity, and irregular meals, while children in urban and well-off families are struggling with obesity. All of this is affecting our children,” Namagembe added.
Justus Rugambwa, another child rights advocate, emphasised the role of local governments in delivering child protection services and raised concern over the declining influence of the Uganda Local Government Association.
“We lack and miss the voice of Uganda Local Government Association. If you see the division of the national cake in terms of child protection, most of the services are decentralised and supposed to be provided at the district level,” he said.
As the country reflects on its journey towards protecting and empowering the African child, CSBAG and other stakeholders are calling for inclusive, data-driven and context-specific investments that leave no child behind.