A Ugandan civil society organisation has appealed to government authorities to urgently rescue and repatriate a group of Ugandan migrant workers allegedly trafficked to Cambodia, where they reportedly face torture and forced involvement in criminal activities.
In a formal petition, Kyeyo Initiative, a Kampala-based organisation, said it had received distress calls from Ugandans lured to Cambodia by “unscrupulous persons” under false promises of employment.
Once there, the victims were allegedly subjected to severe mistreatment and coerced into engaging in dubious acts.
The affected individuals were named as Kaweesa Alex, Mayanja Hakim, Ibanda Uthman Asuman, Nakanda Benita Magaret, Sseguya Marvin, Ssemuyaba Moses, Nasunje Jackline, and Friday Alex.
“The purpose of this communication is to bring to your attention the sober fact of the existence of rampant trafficking of Ugandans into mainly Asian states where they succumb to immense mistreatment,” Kyeyo Initiative Executive Director Olooka Kenneth said in the letter.
The organisation has asked the government to urgently facilitate the identification, rescue, repatriation, and rehabilitation of the victims.
It has also called for investigations into those responsible for trafficking the group, urging that the culprits be prosecuted.
Kyeyo Initiative further appealed for closer collaboration between government agencies, civil society, and international partners to strengthen efforts against human trafficking, both within and outside Uganda.
Copies of the petition were addressed to several high-level offices, including the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prime Minister, the Director of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Department at the Criminal Investigations Directorate, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs, President Museveni, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Uganda.
Human trafficking remains a persistent challenge for Uganda, with dozens of young people reportedly trafficked each year to parts of Asia and the Middle East in search of work. Authorities have repeatedly warned job seekers to verify recruitment companies before travelling abroad.
As of publication, government officials had not yet issued a public response to the appeal.
