BY: Daily Monitor
Entebbe Municipality leaders are preparing a bylaw to enable punishments for parents who fail to tame their notorious children.
In an interview with Daily Monitor, Entebbe B Division chairperson, Stanley Namayirira, revealed that under the enactment, parents would serve punishment on behalf of their children for any crime committed.
“In Entebbe we have over eight gangs terrorising residents but when arrested and taken to police, they are immediately released because they are still young,” Mr Namayirira said.
Namayirira says the bylaws will be effected, starting next year.
Last week a group of seven young children were arrested from Banga Nakiwogo after stealing from the locals but were immediately released.
“It has come to our concern that some parents send their children to participate in such criminal activities. We have tried to engage them but nothing is done. Therefore if we arrest these kids, their parents will serve the punishment that was meant for their children since they failed to control them. We are tired,’’ he said.
The LC1 chairperson for Banga Nakiwogo village, Fred Mulindwa Kayigwa, says these children have been involved in over five cases of stealing from the locals during the nights.
“These kids have become a problem, they attack residents on their way home and snatch phones and hand bags. They dig holes in people’s fences and break into their houses,” he said, adding; “Several times I have tried calling the probation officer but I get no response. I am requesting anyone with his number to help us before children turn monsters in our area.’’
However, Daily Monitor could not get a comment from the probation officer, as his known contact numbers were unreachable.
Last year Daily monitor unveiled more than eight youth gangs terrorising Entebbe and Katabi residents and these included swagger Attackers, B13, Cockroach men and women, Abadaya, 6 boys, young dons, Fider, Harsh tag, Team ADD (Attack Defend and Destroy) and Mafu Mafu.
