Maria Opolot Aminat
Founder & Team Lead
Our Story
Ikoku was born from a place of deep remorse and a desire to make things right. In 2018, our founder visited Bufulubi Prison, Mayuge District and encountered two boys just 15 and 16 wrongfully imprisoned for months with adults without proper legal support, unable to understand the charges against them and held in conditions no child should ever endure.
At the time, she felt powerless to intervene. That experience became a turning point, a quiet but firm reminder of the responsibility to act, not just observe.
Ikoku emerged from that moment. It is a response to injustice, and a commitment to ensure that no child is left behind in the legal system. Today, we work to bridge the gap between children in conflict with the law and access to justice because every child deserves protection, understanding, and a chance to rebuild.
At the time, she felt powerless to intervene. That experience became a turning point, a quiet but firm reminder of the responsibility to act, not just observe.
Ikoku emerged from that moment. It is a response to injustice, and a commitment to ensure that no child is left behind in the legal system. Today, we work to bridge the gap between children in conflict with the law and access to justice because every child deserves protection, understanding, and a chance to rebuild.
The urgent reality
Making our work necessary
Children in conflict with the law in Uganda are moving through a justice system that is increasingly overstretched and often unable to provide consistent, child-centred support at both entry and exit points.
Recent national data highlights a worsening situation:
The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs reports that children in remand increased from 1,111 in 2023/24 to
0+
in 2024/2025
0%
of children accused of minor offences
0%
of those accused of more serious offences remain in detention beyond the legal time limits.
The Office of the Prime Minister’s 2024/25 report shows remand homes reached
0%
overcrowding by December 2025
the highest level in five years.
the highest level in five years.
These figures reflect a system where many children spend longer than necessary in detention, often in overcrowded conditions, and without adequate guidance or support during critical stages of their cases. Many enter the system without alternatives being fully explored or without clear explanation of their rights and procedures, leading to confusion, delays, and loss of time in school, family life, and normal development.
The gaps continue after release. Evidence shows that:
Support services are often delivered by short-term volunteers or interns, making them inconsistent and unsustainable.
0%
of remand homes lack counselling or life skills services.
Many facilities operate without trained social workers or psychologists.
This means that many children leave detention still carrying emotional stress, fear, and confusion, but without structured support to help them recover. After release, they often struggle to return to school, reconnect with their families, or find a clear path forward in life.
These realities are connected. Children are not always receiving fair, timely, and child-centred support when they enter the justice system, and they are not consistently supported to heal and rebuild their lives afterwards. This means that while cases may be closed legally, the child’s journey of recovery is often left unfinished.
SUpport ikoku today
This is the reality we have seen
Children entering the justice process already vulnerable, and leaving it even more so.
A system intended to protect them ends up stretching them, breaking them, or simply losing them in its complexity.
This is the problem at the heart of Ikoku.
Our work follows four actions that shape every step we take, help us keep children safe, heard, and ready for a fresh start.
We guide children through the justice system so they are not alone or unheard. From the moment a child enters the police station through to court processes, we provide support, legal aid to ensure their voice is not lost. This is done through our Iko-Present approach.
We guard their wellbeing by helping them begin to heal from the emotional impact of detention and justice contact. Through counselling, structured play, and tools like chess, we help children rebuild focus, emotional control, and confidence. This is delivered through the Iko-Rehab program.
We grow safer and more child-friendly systems by equipping police officers and local leaders with the knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to children in conflict with the law. Through training and engagement, we strengthen how the system treats children at the point of entry. This is the Iko-Divert program.
And we go beyond the justice process by walking with children as they return to family and community life through our Iko-Grate programme. We support reintegration, vocational skilling, family acceptance, and continued follow-up, because the real test of recovery happens after release.
MEET THE
The Hearts & Hands Behind Ikoku
Mugabe David Bigirwa
Head of OperationsVOLUNTEERNkinzi Kayla Princess
Chess CoachVOLUNTEERKobusingye Cassie Sandra
Legal OfficerVOLUNTEERLutaaya Alex
Psychosocial Program Manager.VOLUNTEERMusiimenta Desire
CommunicationsVOLUNTEER
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