The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that the fight against human trafficking remains a big problem due to non-manned porous borders across the country, adding that out of 2699km of borderlines of five countries, only 67 km are under the control of internal affairs.
Commissioner of Police Julius Twinomujuni, the national coordinator on trafficking in persons at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while speaking at the commemoration of the World Day against Human Trafficking on July 30, 2023, at Kabira Country Club in Bukoto, said that cases reported have increased, from 500 in 2021 to about 1200 by the end of 2022.
“In a report released this month, domestic cases of human trafficking in Uganda catered for more than 80 percent, with women, children, and youth being the most vulnerable,” Twinomujuni said.
He added that these cases have risen due to poverty, unemployment, economic and gender inequality, discrimination, domestic violence, limited access to education, and, to some extent, political instability.
According to Racheal Bihore, Deputy Head of International Crimes, heading the prevention of trafficking in the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the current human trafficking is related to an act of financing terrorism.
“The current human trafficking is being related to an act of financing terrorism,” Bihore said.
Derek Baslirwa Kigenyi, Deputy National Coordinator, Prevention of Trafficking in Persons, the office of the DPP, launched a tip Map on July 28, 2023; it’s a website for data capture for prosecutors and investigators, also usable on mobile.
“The information can be accessed on the website by a researcher, it can also inform users of ongoing prosecutions on human trafficking, and will generate trends and different categories of human trafficking,” Kigenyi said.
The day was commemorated under the theme “Reach Every Victim of Trafficking, and Leave No One Behind.”
The officers encouraged the public not to keep quiet but report any incidences of human trafficking to the nearest police station or local authorities in the community immediately.