East African Nations To Ban Foreigners From Adopting African Children

Foreigners Now Banned From Adopting East African Children

AFRICANGLOBE – Members of the East African Legislative Assembly, who are currently sitting in Kampala, want EAC partner states to abolish international child adoption to stop the likelihood of children falling into the hands of traffickers.

EALA on August 19 passed a general purpose report on the rights of the child, which wants EAC partner states — Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi — to change their laws to restrict adoption of children to their nationals only.

Only Rwanda prohibits non-nationals from adopting children.

Valerie Nyirahabineza, a former Rwandan minister in charge of family and women promotion, made the proposal to ban international child adoptions in the EAC.

The Rwandan government banned international adoptions, during Ms Nyirahabineza’s tenure as minister between 2003 and 2008, when it was discovered that four Norwegian men, who approached her looking to adopt 400 children, had a contract with hospitals that would then sell children to interested parents.

The first step for Kigali was to ask parents to report with their adopted children to various Rwandan embassies across the world at least once a year, so that their wellbeing is monitored. But the government has since banned international adoptions.

Laws in Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda still allow for non-nationals to adopt children. In Tanzania, the only condition is that you have to be a resident in the country at the time of adoption.

The proposal to ban international adoptions was supported by Ugandan Minister in charge of EAC Affairs Shem Bageine.

“Let’s not allow our children to be adopted by foreigners,” he said.

Foreigners Now Banned From Adopting East African Children
Western celebrities adopting African children as fashion statements

Foreigners Now Banned From Adopting East African Children

He also added that the governments should make sure that gays do not adopt any children from the region. According to him, a child’s view of the world would be affected if he had to call a man mum or a woman dad.

“If they think homosexuality is normal, let them have their own children, the same as we heterosexuals do,” he said.

In recent years, Uganda and Kenya have been attempting to pass laws that would criminalise homosexuality, but resistance from Western countries has frustrated these efforts.

Mr Bageine promised to take the war against homosexuals adopting children to the Council of Ministers.

“We need to make sure that once motions are passed here, they can be implemented in the partner states,” he added.

Mr Bageine said partner states have ignored the EAC Treaty that requires them to consider motions and laws passed by EALA superior to those of the national parliaments.

Dan Kidega, the EAC Speaker said the Legal and Privileges Committee will follow up on the efforts made in partner states and update EALA to ensure that the recommendations are implemented. EALA also called for a ban on orphanages, saying they contravene the United Nations Convention.

According to Ms Nyirahabineza, orphanages institutionalise children, yet the United Nations Convention on the rights of a child, require that children are raised by parents.

Susan Nakuwuki an EALA representative from Uganda also proposed a ban on boarding schooling for children aged less than 10 years, since article 7 and 9 of this convention, guarantees rights to children to be raised by parents not institutions. The ban on children below 10 years going to boarding school was also taken as an EALA recommendation.

Other recommendations include working with national governments to eliminate female genital mutilation, child labour, early marriages and corporal punishment.

EALA also wants governments to remove the requirement of fees payment for parents registering the births of their children.

EAC partner states are further expected to provide legal help to victims of child abuse, especially those seeking justice after they have suffered violence.

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Comment by Jerimiah 1:4--10 on September 29, 2015 at 2:27pm: Big Woman, read between the lines this is sodom and Gamorah, get the hint, some people cant be trusted with kids, i beleive there is a large # of such people just look how blacks get treated, so lets get tigers to raise chickens okay Big Woman.

Comment by Big Woman on September 29, 2015 at 2:20pm: Lots of kids here need loving homes but people are afraid to adopt because of laws here that allow parents to change their minds and take the children back. Its uncommon but it has happened.

Children many of them of color are languishing in foster care which can be worse than the families they've been removed from!
When they age out of foster care if not adopted which is the majority, they are ill-equipped to live on their own. Many become homeless and incarcerated. This is happens to hundreds of American children every year.

So a lot of y'all on hear talking about who shouldn't adopt have solutions on ending this human misery which goes on right under our noses?

Lets support people who open up their hearts and homes to take in these children.

Comment by scott cheers on September 20, 2015 at 6:59pm: GAY COUPLES MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO ADOPT CHILDREN. HOW STUPID SOME PEOPLE ARE TO EVEN ENTERTAIN THE IDEA.. IDIOTS.. YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN???

Comment by Big Shot... on September 20, 2015 at 10:59am: Good, all should put an end to this foolishness. If they cant control everything involved including updates on the children's welfare its a big game being played. As far as celebrities from the U.S. or anywhere else playing that fashion statement crap or publicity stunts, they should be investigated. They should ban all of them, they have enough orphans in the U.S. that they can adopt.

As for the homosexuals adopting, Mr. Bageine has got it right. As he said, if they wanna say its normal, let them HAVE and RAISE their OWN children. Its that simple. No one will say a word, in fact, no one really can. Uuuuum, homosexuals naturally having children. Oh wait.

Comment by Jerimiah 1:4--10 on August 31, 2015 at 1:36pm: Cant understand why people that hate us, want to adopt black children ? Is it because of guilt ? Its weird and eery.

Comment by scott cheers on August 31, 2015 at 12:24am: WHY WHITE PEOPLE DO NOT ADOPT WHITE KIDS? THAT IS THE QUESTION PEOPLE NEED TO BE ASKING

Comment by scott cheers on August 31, 2015 at 12:23am: FINALLY THANK GOD, AMAZING U IDIOTS NEVER SAW THIS FROM THE BEGINNING..ESPECIALLY STOP LETTING GAY MEN ADOPT LITTLE BOYS.. HOW IGNORANT AND STUPID SO MANY PEOPLE ARE..

Comment by Fang on August 29, 2015 at 11:11pm: (((Gay, means happy))) They are homosexual. I agree with u Vaughn Mitchell, HOMOSEXUAL shouldn't be allowed to adopt kids. It's just wrong on all levels.