Mary Namatovu, a 26-year-old mother of three from Wakiso district decided to abandon her children with their grandma after failing to take care of them.

According to Namatovu, she would rather abandon them than watch her children suffer and starve to death.

Harriet Nazziwa, a councillor in Kampala said Uganda is experiencing an alarming increase in child abandonment cases by women.

“Child abandonment is a complex and deeply concerning issue that necessitates a comprehensive examination of its root causes,” said Nazziwa.

She attributed the increase to social, economic, and cultural influences.

According to Nazziwa, understanding these factors is crucial to developing effective interventions to address child abandonment and ensure the well-being of affected children.

She said traditional family structures, which historically provided support and stability for children, have started to erode.

Nazziwa further notes that rapid urbanisation and modernization have led to the breakdown of extended family systems as more people move away from their rural homes in search of better economic opportunities in the cities.

“The stigma attached to single motherhood, particularly in conservative communities, can be overwhelming and lead women to consider abandonment as a solution to their perceived failure. Economic Challenges

Poverty remains a significant driving force behind child abandonment,” said Nazziwa.

She said economic hardships often force women into precarious situations where they struggle to secure employment, leaving them feeling helpless and desperate.

She cited how limited access to job opportunities, particularly for women, exacerbates the economic challenges faced by disadvantaged mothers. Gender inequality and discrimination in the workforce further restrict women’s ability to earn a sufficient income to support their families.

In some cases, traditional practices such as “kusasa fumbi” (child cleansing) or “kusasa akabi” (purification rituals) may put pressure on mothers to abandon children they perceive as bringing bad luck or having spiritual implications.

In 2022, police reported that at least 40–80 children were abandoned in Kampala alone and 4968 annually across the country.