By KT Reporter
A report by the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) indicates that over 5,000 Ugandan migrant workers reported complaints related to mistreatment and labor violations in the just ended one month alone.
Musa Okello, the NOTU representative, revealed that these distress calls were logged through the union’s newly established toll-free line. Speaking during the national Labor Day celebrations in Buikwe District today, Okello delivered a pointed address to government officials, describing the “externalization of labor” as a deteriorating crisis.
Okello argued that the mass exodus of workers is fueled by systemic failures at home.He called for a radical reform of the educational system to ensure Ugandan graduates possess qualifications that match the actual jobs available in the local market.
Beyond education, he revisited the urgent need for a functional minimum wage and an end to the “casualization” of labor in domestic factories.
In response, Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, stated that the government has developed new reforms to tighten the regulatory framework for labor export companies.
A key reform now requires every labor externalization company to deposit Shillings 100 million as a bank guarantee. Amongi says that if a company fails to repatriate a Ugandan worker in distress, the government will seize those funds to bring the citizen home.
However, the Minister warned that many Ugandans still bypass official channels. “They are trafficked through Nairobi and not with licensed companies. In those circumstances, the Ministry’s hands are tied, and we must negotiate through Foreign Affairs,” she explained.
President Yoweri Museveni, officiating as Chief Guest at the celebrations, urged Ugandans to look toward the land rather than seeking risky jobs overseas. He emphasized that commercial farming and local manufacturing offer sustainable alternatives.
“Listen carefully to our advice,” the President said. “Use the four-acre model or less… even Nyakaana has only 1.2 acres.” He questioned the logic of seeking jobs abroad when local agricultural and manufacturing sectors remain underutilized.
The surge in reported cases follows the March launch of the NOTU Migrant Workers Toll-Free Call Centre and WhatsApp Chatbox. The platform was designed to bridge the gap between workers and authorities.
The urgency of this tool was stressed by recent tragedies, such as the February 2026 case of Vicky Ajok, a domestic worker in Syria. Ajok was arrested after allegedly killing her employer; she later claimed in a viral video that she had been subjected to starvation, beatings, and unpaid wages.
With youth unemployment currently estimated at 17%, NOTU officials emphasized that while migration continues, it must be made safe.
According to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and recent data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), approximately 80,000 to 100,000 Ugandans leave the country every year for work in search of jobs.
The available statistics indicate that between 2016 and late 2023, approximately 270,000 Ugandans migrated specifically to Arab states (Middle East).
As of 2025, remittances from Ugandans living abroad reached over USD1.6 billion (about UGX6 trillion), making labor export a massive pillar of the national economy.
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