“Mwana wa Mzungu, Mwana wa Mu-China?” Assessing the Impact of Foreign-Funded Business Enterprises on the Rights of Children in Uganda. The case of Kampala Industrial and Business Park, Namanve

Abstract

This baseline assessment examines the impact of foreign-funded and foreign-affiliated business enterprises on the rights and welfare of children in Uganda, using the Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP), Namanve as a case study. It addresses an important evidence gap: while foreign investment and industrialisation are commonly assessed in terms of economic growth, employment and infrastructure, their child-specific impacts remain under-documented and discussion of children and business is often confined to child labour.

Combining legal and policy review, thematic analysis, field observation and limited primary data collection, the study considers children as independent rights-holders and examines five areas in particular: the best interests of the child; the right to health; the right to education; the right to participation; and the right to a clean and healthy environment. It identifies gaps in the integration of children’s rights into investment governance and highlights concerns relating to access to health and education, environmental pollution and safety, and the limited participation of children and affected communities in decisions concerning industrial development.

The assessment concludes that foreign investment and industrialisation should be evaluated not only through economic indicators but also according to their effects on children living in the communities most directly affected. It proposes measures for more child-sensitive investment governance, including child-rights impact assessments, stronger environmental and social safeguards, meaningful community and child participation, improved support for health and education, child-sensitive grievance and remedy mechanisms, and stronger monitoring.

The research was produced within the framework of the Global Campus Alumni Cross-Regional Projects 2025–2026, in partnership with Right Livelihood.