The Ugandan government has sounded the alarm over a growing crisis involving young women being impregnated and abandoned by foreign road construction workers.
At least 16 Ugandan girls have approached the Ministry of Internal Affairs in just the past two weeks, seeking help after being left to raise children fathered by foreign contractors who have since vanished.
Simon Mundeyi, spokesperson for the Ministry, described the situation as deeply troubling, noting that many of the affected girls have no information about the men who impregnated them not even their names or nationalities.
“When you ask them the names and details of the people that impregnated them, they have no idea. They don’t know their names, their countries of origin, or what they do or look like,” Mundeyi said.
According to the Ministry, the girls were lured by promises of money and better lives, with the belief that the government would intervene on their behalf once the men left. Instead, they now find themselves alone, without support, and with no legal recourse.
The Ministry’s investigations into companies working on road construction projects have revealed a shocking detail whereby many of the foreign laborers involved in these incidents are not just regular workers but convicted prisoners serving their sentences while working in Uganda.
“We have learnt that most of the workers these companies bring here are actually prisoners who come here to serve their sentences,” Mundeyi disclosed.
This revelation has intensified concerns over the safety and vulnerability of young Ugandan women, particularly those living in communities near road project sites.
Many are unaware of the workers’ true identities and are left emotionally and financially devastated when these men leave.
This pattern is not unprecedented. In 2015, the World Bank Group terminated funding for the Uganda Transport Sector Development Project (TSDP) after an investigation uncovered widespread sexual exploitation by Chinese contractors.
The probe revealed that underage girls in Kamwenge District had been impregnated, while female employees also faced sexual harassment.
“This disturbing trend is resurfacing,” Mundeyi warned, as he called on communities and women to be vigilant. He issued a strong advisory for women to protect themselves and verify the identities of any foreign men they become involved with.
“If someone hits on you, try to get their name, get a copy of their passport, and ask them questions before having their babies, because they will vanish from you,” he urged.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is continuing to monitor the situation and says it will strengthen oversight of foreign workers brought in under infrastructure contracts.
