By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
The government of Uganda through State House diaspora unit on Wednesday February 5, 2025, returned a female Migrant worker who has been trending on social media while expressing her suffering in Saudi Arabia.
The returnee identified as Prosy Nambarirwa was welcomed at Entebbe International Airport by the Senior Presidential Advisor on diaspora affairs, Mr. Mohammed Bagonza, Mawogola County legislator, Hon. Goreti Namugga and Ministry of Gender communications officer, Joshua Kyalimpa.
Hon. Goretti Namugga, attributed the increased suffering of Ugandan Migrant workers to lack of adequate law on Labor externalization. She said the returned migrant worker is a drop in the ocean saying there are many migrant workers who are stranded and suffering from abroad.
“There are many Ugandan migrant workers suffering abroad. Approximately over 8000 migrant workers are still stranded abroad .We have no labor externalization policy. The Uganda’s external labor sector is in limbo unlike Kenya and Tanzania which have got adequate Laws in policy.
Hon. Namugga added that the situation is compounded by under-funding of Uganda’s Missions abroad.
“The missions can’t trace Ugandan migrant workers abroad because it’s not funded well. Parliament should allocate enough funds for missions abroad.
‘I will thank President Yoweri Museveni when he puts diaspora to order but right now he has done nothing,’ Hon. Namugga angrily stated.
The senior Presidential Advisor on diaspora affairs, Mohammed Bagonza revealed that through social media updates, the government of Uganda was able to locate the victim through its Embassy in Riyad. He added following this incident government has developed a data management system to register all Ugandan migrant workers abroad.
“The data management system will easy our work to locate all migrant workers entangled in problems.
‘Government plans to come up with external labor Law to regulate external labor companies. We shall screen all the external labor companies and those that don’t comply will be closed with immediate effect,” Mr. Bagonza vowed.
The communications manager for the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, Joshua Kyalimpa noted that government is working hard to ensure safety of all Ugandan migrant workers. He however called on government to increase funding for its missions to be able to monitor the plight of Ugandan Migrant workers.
“My ministry takes the issue of safety seriously. The president facilitated her return to Uganda following a social media video in which the returnee expressing the situation was going through,” Mr. Kyalimpa noted.
Returned Prosy Nambarirwa speaks out
“I left Uganda in May 2023 to Saudi Arabia to seek for employment. My dad Mr.Livingstone Nsereko who funded my travel expenses. I was taken for work by Fabulous Labor Company in Makindye division but reaching there I was overworked and treated like a slave. When I complained to my boss over mistreatment instead he hired some men who drove in car severely beat me up hence injuring my legs.
“While in the hospital I would cry day and night. I thank the government of Uganda for facilitating my return to Uganda. ‘
