Police in Gulu district last week intercepted a truck carrying six children being transported to work at Kinyara Sugar Plantation in Masindi district.
The children were among 36 other adults who were also being transported from the Sub-counties of Orom, Omiya Anyima and Namukora in Kitgum district.
Gulu District Police Commander Mr Martin Okoyo told Acholi Times in an interview on Wednesday that the children rescued were aged between 17, 16 and 15-years-old.
“We got tips that some people were being transported in a truck to unknown location as causal laborers, when we intercepted them, we required explanations on where they were going. They made genuine explanation but later we realized they also had children,” Mr Okoyo said.
Mr Okoyo said that the children were too young, and that according to Uganda’s constitution, recruiting children to perform hard labour is an offense punishable by the law.
“We have arrested and detained the officials who were transporting the children. We have made arrangements for the children to be taken back while the 36 adults were left to proceed to Masindi,” Mr Okoyo said.
The police commander, however, did not divulge particulars or numbers of those arrested, although he noted that they are still making further investigations on why young children were being transported to perform such hard tasks.
Gulu district Chairman, Ojara Martin Mapenduzi who was with the police while the lorry was being intercepted said it wasn’t the first time leaders in the district were rescuing children being recruited to cut sugar cane Masindi and Hoima districts.
Mr Mapenduzi said he had personally rescued 11 children from Hoima Sugar Limited in Iswaza Village, Hoima district in January this year. The children, according to Mapenduzi, were working in a sugar plantation under unbearable conditions and little pay.
“These children are deceived that they will be paid good amount of money but when they reach the farms they are given little money and mistreated. We are not against youth being recruited but we shall not tolerate children being trafficked to work in those farms,” Mr Mapenduzi said.
Mr Mapenduzi also warned parents in the Acholi sub-region where Sugar plantation officials draw most of its casual labourers to be keen on people who approach them with promises of job opportunities for their children.
