Only 172 of 1,012 complaints filed by Ugandans abroad resolved

What the report says

Uganda’s Central Public Accounts Committee has pressed the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development over its handling of complaints from Ugandans working abroad, after lawmakers were told that only 172 of 1,012 reported cases had been resolved. According to The Observer, MPs were reviewing the Auditor General’s findings and focused on disputes involving trafficking, workers leaving jobs, repatriation, deaths and refund requests.

The committee questioned permanent secretary Aggrey David Kibenge about the ministry’s response rate, saying the numbers suggested weak protection for migrant workers. The report said just one trafficking complaint out of 101 had been closed, while none of the 290 cases involving workers who abandoned employers and none of the four illegal recruitment complaints had been resolved. Lawmakers also raised concern about delayed refunds, incomplete repatriation cases and the role of recruitment agencies.

Kibenge told MPs that licensed agencies must provide a Shs 100 million bank guarantee and said labour externalisation was created to regulate overseas recruitment and protect workers. He also said some agencies still operate without licences and that limited funding has made follow-up difficult. Another ministry official said the programme brings in about Shs 4 billion in annual non-tax revenue, though the money goes to the consolidated fund.

The hearing highlighted wider concerns about unlicensed recruiters, the absence of dedicated labour officers at some embassies and the need for stronger coordination with Foreign Affairs. As reported by The Observer, MPs argued that the government cannot promote overseas work as an employment option without improving monitoring and complaint resolution for citizens abroad.