Staff Reporter
The Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Dr. Balaam Barugahara, expressed deep concern over the prolonged detention of child offenders at Kabale Remand Home without trial, describing it as unacceptable, especially for those with serious health conditions such as HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Barugahara, who officiated as the chief guest during Kabale District’s delayed celebrations of the Day of the African Child at Kabale National Teacher’s College, highlighted his visit to Kabale Remand Home where he discovered significant delays in the trials of children. He emphasized that some of these children, including those with HIV and other serious illnesses, have been detained for up to six months without progress in their cases, urgently needing medical attention.
At the event, Dr. Barugahara underscored the critical need for timely trials to avoid prolonged detention, which poses risks to the health and well-being of the children.
In response, Kabale High Court Assistant Registrar Henry Twinomuhwezi attributed the delays in trials to various factors. These include a shortage of judicial officers, limited court sessions, and backlogs exacerbated by the absence of remand homes in many districts across the Kigezi region and neighboring areas like Bushenyi and Mbarara in Ankole region.
The Children’s Act mandates that a child offender must be brought to court within 12 hours of arrest and restricts detention to a maximum of six months for serious offenses and three months for minor offenses.
