BY IRENE LAMUNU
OO September 9th, a national Prayer for the trafficked to create awareness and promote the rights and dignity of the victims of human trafficking was held at Kololo ceremonial ground. The prayer was also intended to strengthen the hope of the trafficked victims whose liberty and humanity have been taken from them by traffickers. The Prayer was organized by Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), John Paul II Justice and Peace Centre, Association of Religious in Uganda, Africa Faith and Justice Network, Inter-religious Council of Uganda and Uganda Joint Christian Council.
The theme of the day was “Technology and Human Trafficking”.
The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabanja was represented by the Minister of Gender, Labour and social Development, Betty Amongi, who read the Prime Minister’s speech to the public, noting that human trafficking continues to exist in the shadows and beyond the reach of the law, putting
missions at risk. The Prime Minister’s speech read in parts saying, human trafficking robs victims of their freedom and dignity. She said,
thousands of children, women, girls and boys are trafficked and enslaved everyday across the globe.
Nabanja noted that Uganda is the source, transit and destination for women, children and men subjected to human trafficking.
She added that many Ugandan children are subjected to internal trafficking while the women and girls are vulnerable to transnational trafficking for sex and organ harvesting.
The Prime Minister’s document indicated that in 2020, the government of Uganda identified 666 victims of human trafficking out of which 497 were transnational, 166 internal and 3 were unknown. It further indicated that according to US Department of state Tip report: Uganda 2021, the majority 575 of victims were female and 222 were children. She added that the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) asserted that trafficking in persons cases in the country had increased by 400% in the last five years.
Meanwhile, the chairman, Uganda Episcopal Conference, Rt. Rev Joseph Antony Zziwa in his speech read by the chairman, Justice and Peace Department at UEC, Archbishop, John Baptist Odama stated that it is a tragedy that in this century, notwithstanding the progress in human development and civilistaion, human beings still use and exchange their fellow humans for monetary gains through organ harvesting, cheap labour, sexual exploitation as if they were chattels to be bought and paid for.
Bishop Zziwa’s speech continued that it’s dehumanizing and cruel like the old form of slavery. He was sad that Uganda has not fared well against the scourge since children as young as 7 years are exploited in forced labour, mining, begging, herding, agriculture and girls and boys
are also exploited in prostitution.Rt. Rev Zziwa said many Karamojong women and children are particularly vulnerable to domestic servitude, commercial sex exploitation and street begging. He added that many young girls and women are targeted for domestic sex trafficking. He blamed the idolatry of wealth and riches significantly as the major contributor to this inhuman trade, which attracts huge sums of illicit profits. He also
put blame on the rampant unemployment, poverty and education system, which produces job seekers instead of Job creators. The
chairman called upon families, government, Church leaders and other organizations to join hands in the struggle against this evil
at all levels of our society. Saying that the complexity of the evil trade can’t be handled by a single individual, organization, nor
government.
The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi said the government of Uganda has worked out a plan to
help return all trafficked girls in the Arab world. She added that they have managed to bring back 200 girls and more are still on
the way. She also alerted that government has put up a system to receive calls from Ugandans trafficked or legally taken out of the
country.
Amongi said the system is a 24 hour call system that will allow trafficked victims contact officers and lawyers when distress
order to harness their full potential.
