Children in Uganda are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in gold mining.

† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

In May 2024, the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported that the Government of Uganda provided in-kind support, including logistical support and transportation, to the March 23 Movement, a non-state armed group that forcibly recruited and used child soldiers in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, in September, Ugandan police officers arrested four leaders of the Congo River Alliance, the political arm of the March 23 Movement, for attempting to recruit 32 individuals, including 4 girls, from the Kyangwali refugee camp in western Uganda.

Children at Higher Risk

Children in Uganda, especially from impoverished rural areas, are vulnerable to human trafficking and forced into begging, street vending, domestic work, and commercial sexual exploitation. Children subjected to commercial sexual exploitation continued to be abused and assaulted by law enforcement officers in 2024. NGOs and media reports have indicated that children from the Karamoja region are sold in open-air markets or through intermediaries and forced into cattle herding. Cattle rustlers in the Karamoja region recruit children, especially boys, for violent cattle raids. An unspecified number of these children have been killed during military operations against the cattle rustlers, and cattle raids also increase children’s vulnerability to human trafficking. Moreover, reports indicate that refugee children throughout the country were at an increased risk of engaging in child labor or being subjected to the worst forms of child labor.

Barriers to Education Access

While Ugandan law provides for free primary education, parents must pay official and unofficial expenses, such as school supplies, meals, and other materials, thus hindering some children from attending school. Fees are paid directly to the schools, and if students are not able to pay the amount in full, they might be prevented from attending or completing their term. The Ministry of Education implemented a new curriculum for lower secondary schools; however, the government did not provide the necessary supplies, putting the onus of procurement on parents and teachers. Other barriers to education include a shortage of trained teachers, poor school infrastructure, and a lack of transportation, particularly in remote rural areas where children may have to walk very long distances to the nearest school. In addition, although free primary education laws apply equally to refugee children, reports indicate that some are wrongfully classified as “international students,” resulting in a significant increase of their education fees. Girls, especially those in refugee camps, are less likely to attend school and thus are vulnerable to exploitation due to violence against girls, harassment, and the pressure to undertake domestic duties. Additionally, for a number of refugee settlements, such as Nakivale, schools are often located far from where refugees live and are inadequately equipped to meet the needs of the large student population. As a result of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, some children were expelled or suspended from school based on their sexual orientation, hampering their access to education.

Uganda has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor, having acceded to the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons in March 2024. However, Uganda’s laws do not meet international standards on the minimum age for hazardous work because children ages 12 and older enrolled in an educational training or apprenticeship programs are legally eligible to engage in hazardous work provided they obtain permission from a commissioner.

‡ Age calculated based on available information

While Uganda has a list of hazardous occupations and activities prohibited for children under the age of 18, Section 8 of the Employment of Children Regulations permits a commissioner to allow children ages 12 and older enrolled in an educational training or apprenticeship program to engage in hazardous work in violation of international standards. In addition, children in Uganda are required to attend school only up to age 13, making children ages 13 to 16 vulnerable to child labor because they are not required to attend school while also not being legally permitted to work. Finally, although Uganda has adopted policies to extend universal education through the secondary level, by law schools are permitted to charge fees and school is only compulsory for seven years.

In 2024, labor and criminal law enforcement agencies in Uganda took actions to address child labor. However, the lack of a budget for the labor inspectorate to conduct labor inspections and the inability to assess penalties hindered enforcement efforts.

In 2024, 198 labor inspectors conducted an unknown number of worksite inspections, or whether child labor violations were found. An unknown number of investigations into suspected cases of the worst forms of child labor were conducted. The number of prosecutions initiated and perpetrators convicted is also unknown.

† The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor.

‡ Program is funded by the Government of Uganda.
† The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.

The suggested government actions below would close gaps USDOL has identified in Uganda's implementation of its international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.

Download the 2024 Bibliography