Albinos live in fear despite tight security
What you need to know:
The UTSS executive director, Ms Vicky Ntetema, noted that attacks on people living with albinism have decreased but leaves them in constant fear.
Mwanza. Emmanuel Manyashi, a thirteen- year- old Form One student at Alliance Secondary School does not spend his holidays at home like many of his colleagues.
He is in constant fear of being killed or mutilated ever since his sister Mariam was slain in 2008. Manyashi’s plight portrays the suffering of other children living with albinism in the Lake Zone.
Speaking to The Citizen at a holiday camp organised by Under the Same Sun (UTSS) at Butimba Teachers College, Manyashi says although he misses his parents, he can’t risk going back home for the holidays.
“Here at the camp there is tight security with armed police guarding us all the time,” he said.
The UTSS executive director, Ms Vicky Ntetema, noted that attacks on people living with albinism have decreased but leaves them in constant fear.
“Last year, Yohana Bahati a one-year-old child was kidnapped and a few days later he was found dead,” she said
Ms Mtetema said parents are to blame for abandoning their albino children at schools and day care centres.
“We offer all support to these pupils, including paying their school fees which amounts to over Sh1.6 billion annually. Parents have only one task to visit their children and show them love. It is unfortunate that some of them fail to fulfil this obligation” she said.
