A section of legislators has called for a review and enactment of laws to strengthen the protection of children on the internet amidst the increasing cases of cybercrimes in Uganda.
The lawmakers made the call while addressing journalists at Parliament ahead of the commemoration of African Child under the theme; “The rights of the child in the digital environment; on 16th June annually.
The MPs argued that the digital environment has become complex and subject to rapid evolution with the potential of exposing children to a spectrum of risks of online exploitation and abuse in various ways including child pornography, online grooming, cyber stalking, cyber bullying and exposure to harmful and inappropriate content.
Margaret Makokha (DWR Namayingo) who also doubles as Chairperson Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children expressed alarm over the excessive unsafe and extreme content that is easily accessible to children of all ages, citing a recent study conducted in Uganda to end violence against children (2020) indicates that the penetration rats of the internet of children stands at 40% and mobile penetration among the population stood at 67% indicating an increase in usage given the 66% (26.6) million.
She said, “Internet increases children’s vulnerability to risks and harms including misuse of their private information, access to harmful content and cyber bullying. The ubiquitous presence of mobile devices has made online access for many children less supervised and potentially more dangerous. Creating a safe and beneficial digital environment that both empowers and protects children is imperative to enable children to access and realize the opportunities of digital environment.”
Benjamin Waburoko, Child Rights and Child Protection Specialist at Save the Children cited figures from Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), highlighting that over 56% of Uganda’s population is under the age of 18 and about half under the age of 15years, a demographic Save the Children describes as a huge potential for Uganda’s development if well nurtured, protected and skilled.
Save the Children however warned that the failure to invest, improve the safety and wellbeing of these children would be detrimental to Uganda’s future. while digitisation has been very helpful in promoting children’s rights, the internet and modern gadgets have gradually facilitated online abuse.
Waburoko cited the 2022 Annual Crimes Uganda Police Report, that highlighted that 258 cases of cybercrimes were reported to the force compared to 258 cases reported in 2021, arguing that the common child right violations on online platforms include; cyber bullying, child pornography, grooming, online sexual abuse and child trafficking.
“The above issues are leading causes of psychological and social distress, emergence of social bahaviours among children, drug abuse, school dropout, criminal tendencies. We must urgently focus on addressing the underlying cases of child abuse and violence in the country if we are to secure a healthy and upright generation of young people,” remarked Waburoko.
Flavia Kabahenda (DWR Kyegegwa) called for investment in research and gathering of data, noting that there is no concrete data on the number of children in Uganda, no data on school enrollment and dropout rates, yet such information is critical for policy formulation and planning.
She explained, “We need data, the children we are talking about we may not even know who they are and where they are. The inconsistent birth registration systems don’t give us the number of children we have in the country. The inconsistent registrations at schools don’t give us the right enrollment in schools. So for us to really talk about the safety of our children in whate…
