The Minister of Local Government, Patrice Mugenzi, has called for targeted interventions to address peer pressure and family conflicts identified as primary drivers of rising youth delinquency.

Speaking to The New Times after the graduation ceremony of ex-delinquents at Iwawa Rehabilitation Centre on Wednesday, March 5, Mugenzi emphasized that tackling these underlying issues will be crucial in reducing delinquency rates.

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"A lapse in parental responsibility leads to children seeking negative influences and becoming involved in criminal activities," Mugenzi stated.

"We need a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion and the Ministry of Public Service and Labour to support families and provide young people with constructive opportunities within their communities."

Mugenzi also expressed concern about the detrimental impact of harmful content disseminated through social media.

"We are intensifying efforts to educate parents on their role in guiding their children, monitoring their activities, and resolving family disputes," the Minister explained. "Many young people have cited unresolved family issues as a reason for leaving home. Addressing these core problems is essential."

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Fred Mufulukye, the Director General of the National Rehabilitation Service (NRS), highlighted the challenges faced by the trainees under rehabilitation, including difficulties in tracing families.

"We often encounter situations where tracing families is difficult or time-consuming," Mufulukye said. "Secondly, there is also family related issues, conflicts. We rehabilitate the delinquents but issues from their families remain a challenge and they end up returning here for rehabilitation."

More than 6,400 trainees have graduated from Iwawa, Gitagata and Nyamagabe rehab centres and they will be reintegrated into the society after two years of training various trades such as agriculture, tailoring, and masonry.