The government is finalizing a National Family Policy aimed at encouraging parents to spend more quality time with their children to instill traditional values, which have been eroded by the pervasive use of technology.
Mondo Kyateeka, the Commissioner for Youth and Children’s Affairs, in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, announced this during a press briefing in Kampala ahead of the Online Safety for Children Conference.
Mondo emphasized that the policy seeks to foster parent-child bonding by promoting shared time to discuss life and guide children on responsible internet use.
“We have finalized the policy and handed it over to cabinet for approval, when done the policy will foster children parent harmonisation by encouraging parents to have more time for children, the policy will be out by close of the year,” Mondo said.
The policy will encourage parents to adopt traditional methods, such as storytelling around fireplaces, to instill morals, allowing for open and meaningful conversations with children.
Innocent Agaba, an official from the ICT section at Naguru Police Headquarters, advised parents to create schedules for their children, limit gadget use, and monitor their online activities. He suggested assigning tasks like homework and chores to balance screen time and urged parents to check the content their children access online.
Hadijah Mwanje, executive director of High Sound for Children and a key organizer of the conference, described the internet as a “modern cancer” for children, highlighting the risks it poses due to their digital proficiency.
She stressed the importance of parental involvement in understanding and controlling children’s online interactions to protect them from potential dangers.
Mwanje encouraged parents to attend the two-day Ekitimba Unpacked conference, which focuses on teaching children safe gadget use, and to learn basic technology skills to bridge the knowledge gap with their tech-savvy children.
The third Ekitimba Unpacked conference, aimed at making the internet a safer place for children, will take place on August 29–30, 2025, at Mama FM in Bukoto, Kampala.
