The latest report by Uganda’s Auditor General unveils a distressing reality: the incidence of human trafficking has tripled in just one year. The report discloses a surge from 421 cases in 2021 to a staggering 1,200 cases in 2022, marking a disturbing 185% increase.
The significant rise in human trafficking cases is attributed to various factors, including the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown, which limited public awareness on trafficking issues. Inadequate sensitization and training of police officers and prosecutors, coupled with poverty, unemployment, and low deployment of investigators at border points, have also contributed to the alarming escalation of trafficking incidents.
Disturbingly, the report highlights the lack of government shelters for trafficking victims, leaving them with inadequate temporary accommodations. As a consequence, victims often find themselves housed in police cells, a situation that implies suspicion and compounds their already traumatic experience.
According to the report, the police heavily rely on Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations to care for victims. This dependency results in victims facing challenges such as inadequate accommodation, insufficient medical care, and meal shortages. The Coordination Office for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons faces significant hurdles in addressing abuse complaints from suspected trafficked persons living abroad.
Cases of Trafficking in Uganda
A rescue operation on July 31 in Akright along Entebbe road resulted in the police saving 131 individuals, leading to the arrest of two women involved in human trafficking. In August 2023, the Uganda Police Force, in collaboration with Interpol, sought details from Indian counterparts regarding Ugandan women rescued from a prostitution racket in various Indian cities. At least six Ugandan women were rescued from different brothels, where they were allegedly held against their will.
Addressing the global issue at the 2024 Global Security Liberalization Symposium in Canada, Ugandan diplomat Abbey Walusimbi urgently called for action to combat human trafficking. He emphasized the need to tackle the rising number of victims falling prey to financial and sexual exploitation linked to this crime, which has persisted globally for decades.
Urgency in Addressing Human Trafficking
The Auditor General’s report underscores that the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2009 mandates the Ministry of Internal Affairs to institute measures for preventing human trafficking. These measures include coordinating efforts to counter human trafficking, preventing trafficking in persons, protecting the rights of victims, and ensuring the prosecution of those responsible for trafficking offenses.
The U.S. States Department’s Office to monitor and combat trafficking in persons identifies Uganda as both a source and destination country for individuals trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The report notes that Ugandan children are trafficked within the country and to various international destinations, including Canada, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Karamojong women and children face exploitation, being sold in cattle markets or by intermediaries and forced into domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, herding, and begging. Notably, security companies in Kampala recruit Ugandans to serve as security guards in Iraq, where instances of withheld travel documents and pay are reported, preventing their departure.
