A Critical Examination of the Law against Child Sacrifice in Uganda

Akullu Charity Arthur¹ Peter Batwala² Etyang Gabriel³ Kimbowa Samuel David⁴ Amanya Shylock⁵

School of Law Kampala International University, Uganda

ABSTRACT

This article examines the law against child sacrifice in Uganda.  The article revealed that while there are legal frameworks against the act of child sacrifice in place, however there are gaps explored by persons engaging in the act to avoid prosecution of the crimes committed. One of the gaps in the law is that the act of child sacrifice itself does not have a punishment on its own as most times the courts use the punishment of murder to the persons engaged in the act of child sacrifice. It is on this note that the article recommends the need for further enforcement and amendment of laws currently in place. More so, the government should amend the 1957 Witchcraft Act to make a clear distinction between traditional healers and illegitimate posers, as well as create a mandatory database of trained and qualified traditional healers in order to further distinguish them from traditional healers or traffickers.  Furthermore, the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development (MoGLSD) should additionally expand awareness campaigns to inform the public about the practice of human sacrifice and trafficking and the preventative measure which can be taken against it. Finally, there is need for further emphasis on differentiating between child sacrifice and activities associated with organ trade and child trafficking both in public and government sectors to facilitate the most appropriate proceedings for each specific case, as well as increased statistical clarification.

Keywords: Child protection, Child sacrifice, Human rights, Legal frameworks, Witchcraft

CITE AS: Akullu Charity Arthur; Peter Batwala; Etyang Gabriel; Kimbowa Samuel David and Amanya Shylock (2024). A Critical Examination of the Law against Child Sacrifice in Uganda. RESEARCH INVENTION JOURNAL OF LAW, COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGES 3(3):5-11.