Karamoja’s stolen childhood [Part 1: The pipeline to Kampala]

On the restless streets of Kampala, childhood flickers in traffic lights, small hands stretched between cars, soft voices swallowed by engines, eyes too weary for their years. To many, they are just street children. To others, they are a nuisance. But behind their presence lies a calculated trade, a shadowy network that has, for years, turned innocence into income.

In this opening episode of Karamoja’s stolen childhood, we begin where the story is most visible — on the pavements of Kampala and trace the hidden pipeline that moves children more than 500km from Karamoja into a cycle of exploitation. Who is profiting? How are they recruited? And why does the system keep regenerating?

For 75 days, our undercover reporter followed the trail from the capital’s busy junctions to the heart of Napak. This is where the investigation begins.