KAMPALA — Youths and Children Affairs Minister Dr Mercy Lakisa has called on schools with adequate land to establish small-scale farming projects, proposing agricultural production as a practical measure to curb learner hunger and improve classroom concentration.
Speaking at the close of a two-day Parliamentary Forum for Children orientation workshop in Entebbe, Lakisa noted that food insecurity directly hampers academic performance and drives up dropout rates across the country.
“Children who go hungry at school often struggle to concentrate on their studies, a situation that could partly contribute to school dropout,” Lakisa said.
The minister revealed that discussions on structured school feeding programs have commenced within government, though achieving lasting solutions requires multi-sectoral support.
“Achieving this will require concerted advocacy efforts by Parliament, civil society organisations and other stakeholders,” she said, adding that the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is seeking increased budgetary allocation for child welfare programs.
Organised by the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network at the Imperial Golf View Hotel, the workshop brought together lawmakers to examine structural gaps in child protection, juvenile justice, and nutrition funding.
Beyond school feeding, Lakisa raised concern over the rising number of street-connected and abandoned children, announcing that government will soon issue guidelines compelling parents to take full responsibility for child protection.
She also criticized judicial delays that leave minors languishing in remand homes over minor offenses.
“Some children remain in remand homes for flimsy cases, often without legal representation or adequate involvement of their parents,” Lakisa said, noting that reform discussions are underway with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
In response, Parliamentary Forum for Children Chairperson and Otuke District Woman MP Susan Jolly Abeja pledged that lawmakers will push for stronger legislation and targeted budget allocations. Forum member Kenneth Lukwago echoed the commitment, noting that MPs were exposed to the harsh realities of sector underfunding.
Uganda Child Rights NGO Network Executive Director Damon Wamara warned that unaddressed child vulnerability threatens the country’s long-term development trajectory, urging immediate institutional intervention.
