The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, has set up a committee to investigate murder and other human rights abuses metted against Ugandan girls doing “Kyeyo” in Saudi Arabia.
Its operations will be headed by the Member of Parliament for Kimanya – Kabonera Division in Masaka City Dr Abed Bwanika.
It will be charged with launching a probe into mysterious deaths of Ugandan girls killed in Saudi Arabia, and also allegations of human rights abuses committed against domestic workers of the Ugandan origin.
It will also task the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Uganda, to explain rampant complaints of physical and sexual abuses metted against Ugandan domestic workers during their stay in the Middle Eastern country.
Mpuuga yesterday challenged the Saudi Arabian government to come out on the sustained killings of Ugandan girls working to make ends meet in the largely Suni Islamic nation.
Mpuuga made it clear that it is no longer allegations that girls are killed in Saudi Arabia, because dead bodies have been brought back in Uganda, and circumstances sorrounding these deaths remain shrouded in mystery.
This comes at a backdrop of a dark cloud that engulfed a certain family in Masaka, seeking to return the body of their daughter, Zaituni Zawedde who died in Saudi Arabia, where she had gone to work as a domestic worker.
Zawedde joined a long list of Ugandans who have lost their lives in some of the Middle Eastern countries, owing to the gruesome pain associated with getting a job in Uganda.
According to data from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, about 12,000 Ugandans flock to the Middle East annually, in search of greener pastures, in terms of jobs.
Abuses metted against Ugandans working in Middle Eastern countries have prompted some activists to blame the government for withdrawing the licenses of some recruitment agencies, without a clear plan of monitoring workers still employed abroad.
Against this background, Mpuuga wants Riyadh to give an account of the killings of Ugandan ladies in order to clear her image, but also to compensate the families of the deceased.
Abdullah Kayondo, the president of Migrant Workers Voice, an NGO monitoring Ugandans abroad says government should step in to end the mal-treatment of Ugandans abroad, underlining the fact that it is the only entity with such a capability. He adds that more than 50 complaints of rape and physical abuse against migrant workers are reported at the NGO annually.
According to Mpuuga, the committee is expected to come up with a report within three weeks on which NUP will base to determine appropriate steps to be taken.
On January 23rd, Betty Amongi, the minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development was forced to fly to Riyadh to discuss at length with labour importing companies on the safety of Ugandans following the recent reports of abuses.
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