Uganda, April 27 -- The fight against child labour in the Busoga Sub-region remains a major challenge, with officials and researchers warning that the practice has reached appalling levels. 

Labour and probation officers across several districts report that an estimated 30 to 34 percent of children are engaged in various forms of labour, driven by poverty, weak enforcement of laws, and expanding economic activities such as agriculture, mining and informal trade.

Mr Abubaker Waiswa, the Iganga senior labour officer, attributed the difficulty in stopping child labour to high demand for casual labourers. "In Iganga, parents look for employment for their children, making the fight against this problem difficult," Mr Waiswa said.

He sa...