About 200,000 Ugandan ex-servicemen who served in peacekeeping missions in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2005 to the present are seeking compensation and support from the United States government. The Special Returnees Association (SRA) claims that the ex-servicemen were underpaid during their deployments and that they signed employment contracts with significantly less favorable conditions than initially outlined by the United States Department of Defence.
According to Victor Musinguzi, the chairperson of the association, the ex-servicemen were supposed to be paid a uniform salary equivalent to civil servants of GS-12 and GS-13 grades, ranging from $56,999 to $80,000 annually. However, upon reaching their areas of work, they were forced to sign subsequent employment contracts with less favorable conditions, resulting in salaries ranging from $4,800 to $12,000 per year.
Musinguzi highlighted that many Ugandan ex-servicemen returned home with physical and psychological injuries and did not receive compensation, partly because of the companies that contracted them. The ex-servicemen were contracted by companies such as Explosive Ordinance Demolition Technology (EODT), South Oil Company (SOC), and Askar Security Services Limited.
The SRA is demanding compensation for the underpaid wages, citing the illegality and injustice of the deductions made from their wages, which violated international labor laws. They are calling for the restitution of unlawfully withheld wages.
The Chief of Labour Affairs at External Labour Power House, Wilson Owere, stated that they would have a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the issue and demand immediate response and settlement from the US Department of Defence.
Vincent Bagiire, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned that they have not received the claims from the returnees but expressed willingness to intervene and address the issue accordingly once they receive the claims.
As of now, attempts to get a comment from the US Embassy in Kampala have been unsuccessful.
