Minister warns Kiruhura parents against sending children to Middle East

Minister Kaboyo last week raised a concern about the growing practice of parents selling off their properties to support their children's travel to the Middle East.

During her visit to the Kanyaryeru sub-county last Friday, the Minister was informed that many parents especially those living in the land that was allocated to former NRA veterans in Lake Mbuuro National Park, as selling off this land, to send their sons and daughters abroad.

John Rwanchwende, one of the residents informed the minister that most of these young people are primary and secondary school drop-outs.

“Our people have lost millions of shillings while trying to send their kids for greener pastures abroad; some of them sell off their land and they then get cheated by the (travel) companies,” he said.

Minister Kaboyo in response, advised the locals to keep their children in school and to train them to use the 10 acres of land that they got from the government, to carry out commercial farming.

“Stop sending your children when you have all this land that can be used for farming,” she said.

“You have good leaders; there are experts in this place; let's train the children to stay home to do business and develop here so that they are not worse off than those who are in Kampala.”

At the event, Nyabushozi Member of Parliament Wilson Kajwengye said he had for a long time warned the locals against selling off their land

“But when you tell a person that it is wrong, they think you don't want their children to prosper,” said the MP.

“We have very good primary schools here in each parish as well as secondary schools, but these young people are dropping out to go and work in the Middle East.”

Hon Kaboyo was in the area to deliver a brand new tractor to the Kanyaryeru veterans to help them enhance their household incomes.