The government has revealed plans to construct more remand homes for juveniles in the Lango Sub-region due to an influx in the number of youth offenders.

Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, emphasized that one of the government’s commitments to reshaping the juvenile justice system in the Lango Sub-region is by building a new remand home facility.

While addressing the media at ministry offices on January 4, 2024, Amongi stated that the issues of overcrowding will be addressed by providing a rehabilitative environment for the youth who have been arrested.

Amongi stated that in the Lango sub-region, the total number of juveniles arrested ranges from at least 30 to 50 suspects below the age of 18 in the region weekly, and the nearest holding facility is in Gulu.

She further added that the district should give land with the land title of the ministry so that Morden remand homes can be constructed to accommodate the capacity of 300 to 500 youths per year.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children Act, Cap. 59, Part 10, Section 8, it is stipulated that “No child who has committed an offence should be detained with adult persons. Child offenders should be detained in separate child facilities in Uganda called Remand Homes and Rehabilitation Centers.”

It is against this background that the Ministry, with support from development partners, is renovating Remand Homes and constructing new ones at regional levels where there are High Court Circuits for easy access.