National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has condemned what he termed government’s failure to act against human traffickers following a shocking BBC investigation that exposed the exploitation of young Ugandan women in Dubai.
Bobi Wine described the documentary as a disturbing reminder of the dangers faced by desperate youth forced to seek opportunities abroad due to lack of equal employment and fair wages at home.
“This damning exposé by the BBC of Ugandan women being trafficked to Dubai as modern-day sex slaves is very disturbing! It is even more concerning that since the story aired, the regime is yet to bring to book any suspect involved in this sordid criminality that has already claimed the lives of at least two young ladies,” Bobi Wine said.
He added that unless Uganda’s broken systems are fixed, many young men and women will continue risking their lives in foreign lands, where they face exploitation and death.
“Unfortunately, so long as equal employment opportunities and fair compensation remain absent in our country, desperate young men and women are likely to keep flocking to foreign lands where many of them end up violated and murdered with impunity. We must fix our broken systems such that Ugandans no longer have to trade their dignity and life itself in search of survival abroad,” he stressed.
The BBC documentary, Death in Dubai, exposed how Ugandan women were lured to the UAE with promises of decent jobs, only to be forced into prostitution and abuse.
Survivors recounted being coerced into sex work to repay inflated debts, with some offered thousands of dollars to endure degrading acts.
The report also named Ugandan nationals, including Charles “Abbey” Mwesigwa, as key orchestrators of the trafficking network. Despite the revelations, no arrests have been made, fueling public outrage and calls for accountability.
ThｅDeputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa also weighed in, urging urgent government intervention to protect Ugandan women abroad.
“What I watched was very, very disturbing,” Tayebwa told MPs, criticising the Ministry of Gender for issuing statements without taking concrete action.
Human rights defenders and advocacy groups have since demanded immediate investigations and tougher measures to curb human trafficking, warning that continued inaction will only embolden the perpetrators.
