Thirteen-year-old Moses Kiiza walks around a construction site for a new apartment block in Kazo, Kawempe division, carrying two bricks on the head and a bucket of sand in his hands to be used for construction.
He is one of at least 23 young boys and girls aged 5-14years hired as casual laborers at a Construction site.
After a week of dangerous work at the site, Kiiza and his team of junior laborers expected some pay, when they were told they will not receive the agreed amount, the children approached the Kazo chairperson seeking for compensation for the work, unknown to them that the work they were being subjected to was illegal.
The area local council invited the proprietor of the building, Lazia Nassanga but she refused to show up, he wrote to her and instead just insulted him for poking his nose in her business. The angry chairperson took the matter to the state minister for youth and children affairs, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi for justice.
Yesterday during the hearing, the minister questioned and arrested the proprietor of the building with her daughter Aisha Namalwa and ASP Christine Kyomugasha, the officer in charge of child and family unit at Kawempe Police station for child labour cases.
The officer was detained for beating up the children who had gone to report the case and the two were arrested for engaging children in exploitative labour.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
