Lawmakers in Uganda have passed a bill that says only Ugandans can be legal guardians of orphaned or poverty-stricken children.
Officials said the bill eliminates a legal gap that allowed foreigners to apply for and get legal guardianship within only days of arriving in the country.
Child rights activists say the bill which passed on Wednesday is a necessary step to protect children from child traffickers and dishonest foreigners who seek to adopt children here, sometimes without having ever set foot in Uganda.
Activists say that many families have been tricked into giving up their children under the belief that they would be offered education opportunities abroad.
Dr. Lorena Brownlee 