Gulu district plans to close down the only remand home in the Acholi sub region due to lack of funds to run the facility.
Gulu Chairman Ojara Martin Mapenduzi says there is no funding to buy food for juveniles at the facility.
Keeping juveniles hungry at the remand home, said Mapenduzi, would be a gross violation of their (juvenile’s) rights.
The Gulu remand home currently holds 58 child offenders, 40 0f whom on capital offences like murder and rape.
Mr Mapenduzi while addressing stakeholders during a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister in Gulu town on Tuesday said the district is cash strapped and unable to buy food for juveniles at the facility.
“Other districts have failed to remit money for running the facility and all along the district [Gulu]has been funding operation of the remand home. The facility has also been running on generous hand out from NGOs but currently the support is no more,” Mr Mapenduzi said.
Quarterly, Gulu district contributes Shs 500,000 towards the operation of the remand home. The other seven districts in the Acholi sub region have not been making their contributions.
The Gulu Chairman explained that the food [maize flour and beans] which was donated to the remand home by World Vision is used up adding that the district is left with no option but to shut the facility.
The Ministry of Gender under whom remand homes fall has been unable to help, Mapenduzi said.
The Minister of State for Northern Uganda Ms Grace Kwiyucwiny who was at the Tuesday meeting told Acholi Times that the decision to close the remand home is regrettable.
“The remand home is a good place to ensure that children are not lost, they grow understanding that there is justice but law that there is law in place guiding them. Closing such a facility will have a great impact,” said Ms Kwiyucwiny.
The minister said she would follow up the matter with her colleague in the ministry of Gender, but she called on Non-governmental Organization to assist in running the remand home.
Ms Goretti Oketch, the District Community Development Officer in charge of the facility said juveniles are in dire need of food.
“Children at the facility have been eating on hand outs from well-wishers, sometimes we food that takes us for three days and after, we need to look for other well-wishers. Closing the facility would be a good option although we are worried where the offenders
will be taken,” Ms Oketch said.
