In Summary: Kamuli District Council has reviewed and adopted an updated Child Protection Ordinance aimed at preventing child abuse, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, exploitation and school dropout. Working with Ipas Africa Alliance, district leaders are seeking to move the draft through legal review by the Solicitor General before formal enactment, following delays in the process that began in 2014.
Kamuli, Uganda — Kamuli District Council has reviewed and adopted an updated Child Protection Ordinance, renewing efforts to strengthen safeguards for children after years of delays in securing its formal enactment.
The district is now calling on its Health and Community Services departments, alongside development partners, to support submission of the draft ordinance to the Solicitor General’s Office for legal review and approval before it can proceed to formal enactment and implementation.
The renewed push has received support from Ipas Africa Alliance, which district leaders say will help strengthen technical and political ownership of the proposed law, particularly provisions addressing teenage pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health concerns and wider child protection needs.
The ordinance seeks to protect children from abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence while establishing stronger local structures to coordinate prevention and response measures.
It also seeks to address child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, sexual violence, harmful child labour and other threats to children’s health, education and wellbeing.
During the council sitting at Kuwembula District Hall, councillors expressed frustration that efforts to establish a district-level child protection framework had faced bureaucratic delays since the initiative began in 2014.
District Council Speaker Betty Mutesi outlined provisions retained in the updated draft following earlier consultations and revisions, including amendments undertaken in 2016 and 2024.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit harmful or hazardous child labour, child sexual exploitation, employing or permitting children to work in restricted venues such as bars and lodges, children engaging in night market activities, excessive domestic chores, child marriage and facilitating or procuring child marriages.
It also addresses neglect of children’s basic needs and failure to ensure that children receive an education.
Ruth Owagage, a district councillor representing Butansi, criticised the slow progress of the legislative process, saying repeated reviews had not resulted in formal adoption and implementation.
“We are disappointed and to say the least frustrated by the Solicitor General’s response to critical issues we seek to control through the Ordinance because despite the draft ordinance undergoing several reviews and updates, including revisions in 2016 and 2024, the process has not made significant progress toward formal adoption and implementation, rendering support efforts by Plan International and Lutheran World Federation futile,” Owagage said.
The ordinance is also intended to improve access to essential support services for children, including healthcare, education, psychosocial support, child protection services and legal assistance.
Ipas joins district-led push
Kamuli District Chairperson Kaloli Dhizaala introduced Ipas Africa Alliance as a partner supporting efforts to advance the ordinance and bring the process closer to completion.
Dhizaala said the partnership would help strengthen the draft and secure the support needed to move it through the remaining legal and administrative stages.
“Ipas is here to strengthen both technical and political ownership of the proposed ordinance, particularly its provisions addressing teenage pregnancy and related Sexual and Reproductive Health concerns. We have reviewed and strengthened the draft ordinance to ensure that it responds effectively to district priorities while remaining aligned with existing national laws and policies and we ask this council to approve and own it for further actions,” Dhizaala said.
Angella Naluga, Policy and Advocacy Adviser at Ipas Africa Alliance, said the organisation was responding to the district’s call to revitalise the initiative.
She said Ipas had supported two high-level engagements held on October 19 and 20, 2026, bringing together stakeholders, technical officers, political leaders and district councillors to discuss the proposed ordinance.
Naluga emphasised that the draft was designed to operate within the district council’s legal powers rather than interfere with the work of courts, police or other national institutions.
“The proposed ordinance is intended to apply to all children, parents, guardians, caregivers, and other persons responsible for the care of children within the jurisdiction of Kamuli District. It will also apply to institutions that provide care and services to children across the district. The obligations established under the ordinance shall only apply within the powers and functions of the District Council and to individuals and entities lawfully subject to its regulation,” Naluga said.
The clarification comes as district leaders seek to develop a framework that strengthens local prevention and response mechanisms while remaining consistent with national laws and the responsibilities of institutions in the Justice, Law and Order Sector.
Councillors call for stronger implementation framework
During the council discussions, members proposed additional provisions to strengthen the ordinance, including measures to prevent and respond to adolescent pregnancy, child protection referral systems, confidentiality safeguards, non-discrimination principles and a comprehensive implementation framework.
Joy Nakyesa, representing persons with disabilities, said the proposed law should be integrated into the district’s routine planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting systems to ensure that its provisions are implemented and tracked.
“The proposed framework should and will ensure that monitoring, reporting, and enforcement of the ordinance are integrated into the districts routine planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting systems. We also need to have or establish a multi-sectoral coordination committee that should convene quarterly to provide oversight, coordination, and accountability for the implementation of the ordinance,” Nakyesa said.
The proposed coordination committee would bring together relevant sectors to oversee implementation, strengthen accountability and ensure that child protection concerns are addressed across district departments.
The district’s renewed effort comes amid concerns raised by councillors over teenage pregnancy, school dropout, child marriage and other forms of abuse affecting children.
If enacted, the ordinance is intended to provide a district-level framework for prevention, reporting, referrals and coordinated support for children at risk. However, the draft still needs to proceed through the required legal review and formal enactment process before its provisions can be implemented as law.
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