Disturbing statistics reported on Tuesday indicated that up to one hundred children in a primary school in Kigali were sexually abused.

The headmaster of Gahanga Primary School, Joseph Bungubwenge, said that a survey they carried out showed that 102 under-age girls and 93 boys were at least once defiled by either relatives, neighbours or their peers. As a result, the tests carried out voluntarily found out that two under-age girls were pregnant, and the worst bit is that forty pupils are HIV positive.

Furthermore, thirty per cent of the forty-seven pupils sampled in one class- primary six- admitted to having had premature sex. That’s alarming a number. The school matron, Ruth Mukankuranga, said that pupils are in most cases seduced by boda boda riders and shopkeepers who give the minors such cheap items as chewing gum and sweets.

This is a very sad, unacceptable situation and vicious circle, but it could have been prevented if stringent measures were in place to protect our children.Such a situation at a primary school, moreover in the capital, is a big indicator that much as rights’ activists have shouted themselves hoarse over the years, little or nothing in terms of awareness is achieved on the ground to protect Rwandan children.

Certainly, the aforementioned statistics show also that there is some serious laxity in the system.Joint efforts by parents/guardians, school authorities and NGOs must be cemented by the State’s long arm of law enforcement to safeguard our children from defilers and rapists.

It’s about now that all concerned authorities come together, especially with school leaders, to have strict rules on who brings and picks a child to and from school. This would reduce on the risk of having our innocent children from falling in the hands of defilers/rapists who seduce them with little things like sweets.

Police and other law-enforcing organs should immediately investigate Gahanga case to make sure that culprits are brought to book. Similar investigations should be launched at other primary schools as well as secondary schools.Ends