The dream of Middle Eastern employment has long enticed many Ugandans, offering the promise of a better life. But for Lilian Nakatte, a 25-year-old from Buikwe District, that hope turned into a devastating ordeal.
Missing for two years, her story highlights the grim underbelly of human trafficking, exploitation, and institutional failures.
In September 2022, Nakatte left home to visit her sister in Bulenga, a Kampala suburb. However, a chance encounter with a woman promising overseas work diverted her course—and marked the last time her family heard from her.
“We called her phone, and she said she was being held inside a fenced house in Ntinda. She even gave us directions,” her sister, Sandra Namata, recounted.
Namata tried to intervene, delivering food to the facility's gate but was denied entry. Nakatte reportedly cried and begged to be taken home, but security chased Namata away.
Before even leaving Uganda, signs of Nakatte being held hostage were apparent. Yet, Ekisinga Recruitment Company allegedly trafficked her to Saudi Arabia, where the family’s worst fears materialized.
Months later, a company employee known only as Godfrey revealed a shocking twist: Nakatte was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, accused of murdering an Indonesian maid during an altercation.
The case remains shrouded in mystery, with scant details about the incident or her legal status.
“She couldn’t hurt a fly. Lillian can’t kill a person. They just want to kill my child,” her mother, Robina Namuli, lamented from her home in Buikwe, inconsolable and convinced of her daughter’s innocence.
A former colleague of Nakatte, repatriated in 2024, disclosed that Nakatte has not faced trial and remains detained without resolution.
Her case mirrors the plight of thousands of Ugandans—many women—caught in similar predicaments.
Government reports estimate over 1,000 Ugandans stranded in Middle Eastern prisons or deportation centers, often subjected to abuse, neglect, and deplorable conditions.
While Uganda has made strides in repatriating workers, including 140 individuals in October 2023, many families like Nakatte’s still wait for justice and closure.
“We continue working with the government of Saudi Arabia to repatriate our citizens,” said Esther Anyakun, the State Minister for Labour.
Yet for families such as Nakatte’s, hope remains fragile, and the search for their loved ones feels endless.
