The Uganda Police is currently investigating a matter under which a Makerere University student identified as Jeremiah Bonefansi Mukuza lost over UGX 4.5m tuition fees to a group of conmen, masquerading to be legit labor expatriates.
This issue is arising barely a month after a government of Uganda suspended over seven Labour Export Companies over breach of law and exploiting poor Ugandans.
These companies include Al-Saud Agency Limited, Middle East Consultants Limited, The Eagles Supervision Limited, Forbes Enterprises Limited, Top Notch Recruitment Services (U) Limited, Fly International Jobs (u) Ltd, and Sahara Recruitment Agency Limited.
According to Mukuza, a total amount of Four Million, Five hundred thousand Uganda shillings (UGX 4,500,000/-) was paid to one Grace Kulwenza Kadama, a slender and tall business lady who had been introduced to him by course mate as a labour exporter also dealing international travel and destination consultant.
It is further alleged that Mukuza first met Ms. Grace Kulwenza Kadama in Entebbe, one of the urban areas surrounding Lake Victoria where the duo discussed opportunities of getting a juicy job abroad.
Besides taking allegedly taking people abroad, Kadama is also on the spot fro promising other University students jobs in different government ministries, departments and agencies.
It is said that Kadama would also intimidate her victims through her some army officers after the extortion game in case things went wrong.
“Ms. Kadama took advantage of our innocence and desperateness to get jobs, and ended up conning students like me in different education intuitions. We had no way we could doubt her until we were conned hands down.” Mukuza said adding that woman is currently on the run from Entebbe area where she operated her briefcase company.
According to Kampala metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango, there is increase in the financial crimes like this one, and the force is working hard in order to bring the perpetrators to book.
CID director, AIGP Grace Akullo in her 2020 crime report indicates that 482 people were victims of transnational trafficking. Of these, Dubai was the leading destination with 257 victims while Kenya and Oman came second and third with 165 and 39 victims respectively.
“Labour remains the biggest form of exploitation for trafficking in persons. This is driven by the large population of unemployed youth and the increased demand for cheap labour in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Jordan among others,” AIGP Akullo states.
Agnes Igoye the coordinator of Anti-trafficking at Ministry of Internal Affairs while addressing the media recently said Ugandans to report any person who will approach them claiming to be a labour recruiter serving with any of the banned companies.
She added that Cases of human trafficking were high after last year’s COVID-19 lockdown.
Igoye also noted that There is fear that such incidents could skyrocket again during or after the current on-going COVID-19 lockdown.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on June 18th announced a second lockdown after Uganda registered a surge in new cases of COVID-19 which has also proved to be more lethal. The 42 days lockdown ends on July 29.
Government said the banned companies have numerous cases of forgeries, human rights violations, smuggling and suffering of Ugandans taken to serve as domestic workers in countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman and UAE.
