Karongi to prosecute parents whose children live on the streets

By The Inspirer.

Karongi District authorities have announced plans to take legal action against parents who neglect their responsibilities and allow their children to end up living on the streets.

The district says the move follows repeated efforts to engage parents about their responsibilities, with some children continuing to return to the streets despite interventions.

Karongi Deputy Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Umuhoza Pascasie, told IGIHE that the district will first conduct awareness campaigns across all sectors to educate residents about their obligations under Rwanda’s child protection law.

“After the awareness campaign, we will begin taking action against parents who fail to fulfil their responsibilities. A child belongs to all of us, but they also have a parent who gave birth to them. That parent has a responsibility to raise, protect and care for the child and prevent them from falling into harmful living conditions and street life,” she said.

The district recently brought together 28 children living on the streets for discussions and invited their parents to participate. However, some parents did not attend.

Some of the children told IGIHE that family conflicts and neglect by parents were among the reasons they left their homes.

One child said: “We live on the streets because our mother does not take care of us. She does not provide food for us and refused to buy us school supplies. We do not know our father.”

Under Article 32 of Rwanda’s child protection law, a parent, guardian or other person with a legal responsibility for a child commits an offence if, without a valid reason, they seriously neglect that responsibility in a way that harms the child’s health, safety or wellbeing or causes the child to engage in street life.

If convicted, the offender may be sentenced to community service as an alternative to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one month.

For repeat offenders, the law provides for imprisonment ranging from two to six months and a fine of between RWF 500,000 and RWF 1 million, or either of the two penalties.

The issue comes amid broader concerns over school dropout and children living on the streets in Karongi.

More than 700 children were recorded as having dropped out of school in the district by the end of the 2024/2025 academic year. Some of those who left school later ended up living on the streets.

The district’s planned enforcement measures are expected to follow the awareness campaign, with authorities seeking to remind parents of their legal responsibilities while addressing the family and social challenges that push children out of their homes.