Uganda should treat all citizens equally

Lately, there have been spates of deaths of mostly girls who leave the country to go and work in Middle East countries, particularly in Oman and Saudi Arabia. The recent case is of the death of Christine Nambereke, who died in Oman due to unclear circumstances.

Though before her death, according to the reports in this newspaper, she had complained of the heavy workload which was unbearable and that her employer was abusive, and had wanted to return to Uganda or get another home to work. She had gone to work for Shs600,000 a month after failing to find a job in Uganda to fend for her family. Now they are looking for money to repatriate her body back to Uganda, the funds her family is finding difficulty to raise.
Many Ugandans seeking employment abroad, specifically in the Middle East and Asia, are desperate citizens who have failed to secure employment here. The process of getting these jobs is tedious, cumbersome and costs an arm and leg.

Companies that help to take these youth to work abroad fleece the desperate souls, where government should have come in to subsidise or compel the agents to lower their charges. After all, they are helping government employ citizens. They partly go job-hunting abroad because government has failed in its obligation to create jobs for them.
So out of their volition, they strive to find employment, and instead of government ensuring their safety and security at their jobs abroad is provided, they just leave them to the jungle law of survival for the fittest. The government abandons them to the wolves, to fend for their safety and security.

Many of these migrant workers make remittances to their families and relatives. Foreign remittances constitute a significant portion of Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP. According to records from Bank of Uganda, in 2016, personal transfers are estimated to have increased to more than $1.2 billion (Shs4.3 trillion) compared to about $1 billion (Shs3.6 trillion) transferred in 2015. This money is making lives of recipients and senders better, partly explaining the changing skyline in Kampala and other areas.

Given the aforementioned, government of Uganda would treat the migrant workers with some decency, especially when they meet unforeseen challenges while they perform their duties abroad. It’s not too much when government is asked to request hiring companies (countries) to have some respect for their nationals. And in the eventuality of death, where the family may face challenges, government should aid in the repatriation of the remains back to Uganda.