A labor export company, Horeb Services Uganda Limited, has been ordered by the High Court to pay 250 million shillings to the family of a Ugandan maid who died while working in Saudi Arabia in 2019. The ruling, delivered on October 7 by Justice Boniface Wamala, found that the firm violated the late Milly Namutamba’s right to life by failing to account for her safety or explain the circumstances surrounding her death.
In his judgment, Justice Wamala ruled that Horeb Services, along with its managing director Ezra Mugisha, must pay 200 million shillings in general damages and 50 million in special damages to Namutamba’s family. The case was brought forward by Desire Namale, Namutamba’s daughter, and Charles Mutasa Muyingi, a relative, who sought legal redress after the company failed to provide any information about Namutamba’s fate for over two years.
Namale, in her affidavit, recounted how her mother had been recruited by Horeb Services on August 19, 2018, as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia. Before leaving, Namutamba underwent a medical check-up and was declared healthy. For the first five months of her employment abroad, Namale remained in regular contact with her mother. However, Namutamba suddenly stopped communicating, raising concerns within the family. After a month of silence, Namale and Muyingi approached Horeb Services for answers but received no response despite numerous attempts over two years.
In defense, Horeb Services’ managing director, Mugisha, explained that the company had partnered with a Saudi-based recruitment agency, Al Manasa Recruitment Agency, to facilitate Namutamba’s employment. He asserted that their contract required the Saudi agency to take responsibility for the domestic workers’ welfare and, in case of death, to ensure the repatriation of remains and provide compensation to the family. Mugisha also stated that Namutamba’s deployment was approved by the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development in Uganda.
Mugisha further detailed that in April 2019, when the family notified Horeb Services of their inability to reach Namutamba, the company took steps to address the issue by contacting the Saudi agency and informing the Ugandan attaché in Saudi Arabia. However, communication with the Saudi agency proved difficult, leading Horeb Services to cancel their contract with the agency in May 2021.
The company only received official notification about Namutamba’s death in September 2022 from the Ugandan Embassy in Saudi Arabia. According to this communication, Namutamba had passed away on January 21, 2019, and was buried without her family’s knowledge or consent. Horeb Services then informed the family and held a meeting, during which the family requested $35,000 in compensation and facilitation for five family members to travel to Saudi Arabia to pay their last respects.
The case was represented by Rose Wakikona from the Women’s Probono Initiative (WPI) on behalf of Namutamba’s family, while Horeb Services and Mugisha were represented by Ferdinand Tumuhaise from M/s Kampala Associated Advocates.
This ruling has been welcomed by migrant workers’ advocates, including Rehema Nassozi (not her real name), who experienced similar challenges. Nassozi expressed hope that the decision would force labor export firms to take greater responsibility in ensuring the safety and welfare of migrant workers.
