Uganda Proposes Labour Attachés to Safeguard Citizens Abroad Amid Trafficking Concerns

Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth has advocated for the establishment of labour attachés in nations that engage with Uganda for the externalization of its workforce. This proposal emerged after the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen. Henry Tumukunde, addressed Parliament regarding the alleged trafficking and detention of three Ugandans in Thailand.

The issue was brought to light by Soroti City Woman Representative, Hon. Joan Alobo, who noted that Amon Kisaakye, David Musajja, and Samuel Kusiima had traveled to Thailand via a recruitment agency but subsequently lost contact with their families. Gen. Tumukunde confirmed that the recruitment agency, Result Recruitment Company, is not licensed and is absent from the ministry’s official database, indicating that the Ugandans were victims of trafficking.

Speaker Oboth stressed the importance of having dedicated personnel from the Ministry of Gender stationed abroad, drawing parallels with existing commercial and defense attachés. He believes such representatives are crucial for effectively managing labor issues and collaborating with foreign governments on behalf of Ugandan workers.

Minister Tumukunde further informed the House that the ministry, in conjunction with the Uganda Police Force, is actively working to apprehend unlicensed recruitment firms and is running public awareness campaigns to promote safe labor migration. Legislators, including Hon. Alenyo Marshall and Hon. Rwakajara Arinaitwe, supported the idea of labour attachés, suggesting they would improve monitoring of recruitment agencies and job legitimacy, preventing Ugandans from being exploited with low-skilled jobs.

Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, also urged the government to prioritize domestic job creation to reduce the outflow of youth seeking employment opportunities abroad. The parliamentary discussions also included calls for government support in repatriating other Ugandans facing difficult working conditions in foreign countries.

Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/4581/labour-envoys-proposed-protect-ugandans-abroad