The Minister of Youth and Children Affairs, Hon Florence Nakiwala has ordered new kid on the block, Fresh Kid, 7, to go back to school and should cease performing at night with immediate effect citing Uganda’s Child Labour laws.
Speaking to NBS TV on Tuesday, Hon Nakiwala said that it is illegal for any Child in Uganda (below the age of 18) to indulge in money minting activities before completing [high] school (17 and below).
The Minister emphasized that any child between the age of 12-17 can be jailed in the juvenile prison like Kamparingisa Rehabilitation Centre, which is located on Masaka Road. “Anyone who hires out a venue that’ll host this kid’s concert, or any person who hires this kid, any reveller found watch or enjoying Fresh Kid’s performance or any sponsor will be arrested and charged in the courts of law,” Hon Nakiwala warned.
Fresh Kid who has shot to prominence with hits such as “Taki taki’ and ‘Banteeka’,has in the recent past been bar hopping in happening places as he performs in various hangouts and events.
Biography
A lot has been said about the youngest Ugandan rapper, the 7 year old Fresh Kid UG, real names Senyonjo Patrick but now here we have his full biography and his real life away from the rap showbiz.
The young rap king, Fresh Kid UG is a promising young talent that has put the all Uganda Hiphop camp at a manic of furry after intelligently making it crystal clear that he wants to be himself and not like any Ugandan rapper like the likes of Fik fameica.
Apart from being a young kid and a student in Primary two (P2), Patrick aka Fresh Kid’s mother is a chapati vendor and she mostly does this during music concerts as his father is a manicure and pedicure dresser.
Fresh Kid’s real name is Patrick Sseyonjo a student in P2 class at St Agnes Primary School.
Fresh kid under the Management of Texas, and his music career and life is being drafted by a man known as Manager Francis and so far he has only one song out called “Banteka.
Tit Bits
What age defines a child in Uganda?
A child in Uganda’s Constitution is defined as any person who is below 18 years of age.
What is Child Labour?
The definition of Child Labour is derived from the International Labor Organization, (ILO)
Convention No. 138, (1973), on the minimum age of employment; and the ILO Convention No. 182, (1999), on the worst forms of Child Labour. Both of these Conventions are compementary to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, (UNCRC).
The UNCRC stipulates that children should be protected from economic exploitation and any work that is hazardous, interferes with schooling, or is harmful to their health and
development.
Do children work in Uganda?
There are many working children in Uganda. Many of these working children are aged between 10-14 years. Some are in the 15 – 17 year age group. Some are less than 10 years old. Findings indicate that most of the working children have attended some formal education. Although this is the case, findings further indicate that still one in every five working children had no formal education.
This implies that these children have very few options and are therefore prone to
exploitation and poor conditions of work.
Where do they work?
Some of the working children work at their employer’s premises or “sites”, whereas some work in plantations, crop farming or doing unskilled manual labour. Many of the working children are engaged in domestic duties. Girls are more likely to engage in domestic work than boys.
Some children beg, wash cars, scavenge, work in the commercial sex industry, and sell small items on the streets.
Other hazardous activities include construction (particularly brick baking), sand and gold mining, and stone crushing.
Credits: NBS TV, Blizz Uganda and Mywage.org
