Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs has requested 1.2 billion shillings to repatriate Ugandans who were illegally trafficked abroad.
The chairperson of the committee, Catherine Lamwaka, presented the request during a report on the ministerial policy statements and budget estimates for the 2026/27 fiscal year. The report was delivered before the Budget Committee, chaired by Patrick Isiagi Opolot.
Lamwaka noted that many Ugandans are in distress across various countries due to unemployment and illegal recruitment. She specifically highlighted that 300 Ugandans are stranded in India and 1,000 in Thailand.
During an oversight visit to India, the committee discovered 300 girls, many of whom are former senior four and senior six students. These individuals were trafficked with promises of employment that failed to meet their expectations.
Lamwaka emphasized that these citizens require urgent legal support, as they are often stranded without legal protection, unpaid or victims of human trafficking.
Faith Nakuti, the Napak District Woman MP, urged the government to prioritize the funding. While she supported the move, she suggested that 1.2 billion shillings might be insufficient given the scale of the crisis.
Nakuti proposed increasing the allocation to 200 billion shillings to cover the wide geographic spread of the victims and the necessary legal representation fees. She argued that repatriation should be a priority to restore the dignity of these citizens.
Additionally, Lamwaka proposed relocating certain embassies to more secure areas, citing concerns that current diplomatic missions have become targets for attacks.
