Around the bustling city of Kampala, numerous children live on the streets, enduring daily struggles—from poverty and hunger to abuse and exploitation. Many are driven to the streets by family breakdowns, conflict, or extreme poverty. Every morning, they wake up in the city center, scavenging for food and searching for a safe place to rest.

These children navigate through crowded markets, dodging vendors and vehicles, as they head toward familiar gathering places like taxi parks and market areas. It’s not uncommon to find street children living alongside refugee minors—many of whom are unaccompanied and have fled conflict in neighboring countries.

Street children in Kampala face dire living conditions:

Food insecurity
Inadequate shelter and sanitation
Limited access to healthcare and education
Mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety
Language barriers for refugee children
Exposure to violence, drugs, and exploitation

Government Interventions

According to available records and documentation, the Ugandan government has made budgetary allocations to address the issue:

In 2019: UGX 5.8 billion (approximately $1.6 million USD) was approved for the removal, rehabilitation, and resettlement of street children in Kampala.
Additional Resettlement Funds: UGX 1 billion was allocated for evacuating and resettling children from Kampala’s streets.
The government requested an extra UGX 2.4 billion (around $650,000 USD) to support resettlement efforts, particularly for children from the Karamoja region.

However, these initiatives have seen limited success. For example, a 2007 effort to relocate Karamojong children back to Karamoja failed due to ongoing poverty, famine, and abuse in the region. Many children returned to Kampala, highlighting that the root causes—conflict, drought, and economic instability—remain unaddressed.

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the Ugandan government allocated UGX 355.79 billion for social protection programs aimed at supporting vulnerable groups like the elderly. Some of this funding may indirectly benefit street children.

Additional funds for disaster response and displaced households could potentially be extended to aid children in regions like Karamoja. Despite these budgetary commitments, the real-world impact remains limited. Access to resources is often inadequate, and many children still fall through the cracks.

In the Field: The Story of Lokeris

Lokeris, a 16-year-old girl from Karamoja, refused to face the camera for an illustrative picture, due to fear of police retaliation. Lokeris came to Kampala when she was 9, alongside her two older sisters. She briefly attended a government school up to Primary 4 but later dropped out and began living on the streets near Owino Market.
Her sisters work in a nearby restaurant, and they all sleep there at night—on mats, on the floor. While her sisters work in food preparation and service, Lokeris collects waste produce like potatoes, mangoes, and onions to resell. She said life on the street is difficult, and at night, she is sometimes harassed by boys if she walks alone.

Returning to Karamoja is not an option

Despite her hardships, Lokeris feels somewhat protected at night in the restaurant compared to others sleeping outside. Still, she must endure cold, rain, mosquitoes, and the lack of basic hygiene. Her dream is to save enough money with her sisters to one day open their own restaurant. Returning to Karamoja is not an option, she says—it’s worse there.

A Wider Picture

Kampala’s street children range in age, but most share similar stories: loss of parents, abandonment, or escape from abuse. Many collect and sell plastic bottles for money, while the youngest beg for food. They rest where they can, often in unsafe conditions.

Kampala’s street children range in age, but most share similar stories: loss of parents, abandonment, or escape from abuse, conflict, war… Many collect and sell plastic bottles for money, while the youngest beg for food. They rest where they can, often in unsafe conditions. Lokeris also highlighted the unique challenges girls face:

Police brutality and abuse
Sexual and physical exploitation
Forced labor and commercial sex work
Neglect in accessing justice and basic healthcare

She shared that crimes against girls often go investigated, and instead, they are arrested or mistreated. Some girls are forced into early marriages, putting them at risk of lifelong trauma.

Protect the Invisible: A Call for Justice and Care

Caring for Kampala’s street children is not just a responsibility—it’s a moral imperative. These vulnerable children are not just surviving; they are dreaming, hoping, and struggling for a better life. Yet, without targeted and consistent support, their futures remain at risk.

We urge the Ugandan government, non-governmental organizations, international donors, and compassionate individuals to come together in a coordinated effort to:

Provide safe and stable shelter to remove children from dangerous street environments.
Ensure access to education, so they can break free from the cycle of poverty.
Offer comprehensive healthcare, including mental health services tailored to their trauma.
Strengthen legal protections against abuse, trafficking, and exploitation.
Invest in sustainable livelihood programs for youth and their families.
Empower community outreach to reconnect children with their families when safe and possible.

Street children like Lokeris don’t need sympathy—they need action, opportunity, and dignity. Let’s shift the narrative from survival to success. The time to act is now.