The Federation of Uganda Migrant Workers’ Associations (FUMWA) has notified the government of its intention to sue over what it describes as continued negligence and systemic failures that have led to the deaths and suffering of Ugandans working abroad.
In a notice issued through Guma & Company Advocates, FUMWA petitioned the Attorney General, indicating plans to file a lawsuit against the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The federation accuses the ministry of breaching its statutory and constitutional obligations to protect Ugandan migrant workers, particularly through poor regulation and oversight of labour recruitment agencies.
“The ministry’s regulatory framework suffers from significant deficiencies in monitoring and protecting workers deployed by recruitment agencies that lack jurisdiction or presence in destination countries,” the petition states.
FUMWA further criticised the ministry’s recent suspension of licences for several labour recruitment agencies, calling the move ineffective and misrepresented as protective.
The federation argues that this action failed to safeguard workers who had already been deployed through the affected agencies.
“Suspending licences of agencies that already deployed workers—without establishing support or follow-up mechanisms—only worsened the situation,” the petition reads.
Among the suspended agencies named by FUMWA are Albal Manpower Services Ltd, Middle East Consultants Ltd, Al-Saudi Agency Ltd, The Eagles Supervision Ltd, Forbes Enterprises Ltd, Fly International Jobs (U) Ltd, Top Notch Recruitment Services Ltd, Al Sultaan Recruitment Agency Ltd, Golden Star Recruitment Agencies Ltd, Hala Uganda Rec Ltd, Perla Recruitment Agency Ltd, Pearl of Makka International Ltd, Nile Treasure Gate Company, Al-Madinah Agency Ltd, Cornell Recruitment Centre Uganda, and Tempcro International Ltd. According to FUMWA, the suspension of these agencies’ licences “did not serve the intended purpose” and has “left numerous migrant workers vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, disappearance, torture and neglect, with no urgency responsible for their follow-up or assistance.”
The petition asserts that the Ministry of Gender’s failures constitute breaches of statutory duty and negligence, and violate international obligations under ILO Conventions Nos. 97 and 181, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and several bilateral labour agreements ratified by Uganda, including with Saudi Arabia.
FUMWA is demanding that the government immediately search for, rescue, and repatriate all stranded or abandoned Ugandan migrant workers abroad.
The group also wants a full accounting of the USD 20 collected per job vacancy and deployment clearance by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The federation further calls on the government to formally recognise FUMWA as the umbrella body for migrant workers in Uganda. It is also pushing for Uganda’s ratification of ILO Convention No. 189, the suspension or recall of bilateral labour agreements with countries that have not ratified the convention, and the enactment of a comprehensive Act of Parliament to regulate external labour recruitment and deployment.
FUMWA says that all labour externalisation should be halted until meaningful reforms are implemented. It is calling for the formation of a tripartite forensic audit committee to investigate all recruitment agencies and relevant government departments.
“Government should conduct a comprehensive 10 years back audit of the ministry and recruitment agencies involved in recruitment, audit of all lost lives and affected Ugandan migrants abroad, including a lifestyle audit of ministers and all commissioners in charge of external labour employment,” the petition states.
According to the federation, these steps are necessary not only to hold responsible parties accountable but also to prevent further loss of life and suffering for Ugandan migrant workers.
