By Kabuye Ronald
The Ugandan government has announced a notable decrease in human trafficking cases in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the Human Trafficking Report 2023 launched today morning at Kampala. The report, conducted by the Countering Trafficking in Persons Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, highlighted a 16.16% reduction in reported cases.
Colonel Geofrey Kambere, Commissioner of Immigration, disclosed during the report’s launch that 1006 cases were reported to the police in 2023, down from 1200 cases in 2022. This decline was attributed to heightened public awareness, extensive sensitization campaigns against trafficking, and increased enforcement efforts by both police and prosecutors.
The report underscored that cases involving child trafficking were the highest, accounting for 510 cases or 50.69% of all reported cases, whereas adult trafficking accounted for 496 cases, representing 49.30%.
Regarding legal outcomes, Kambere elaborated on the judicial process for these cases: out of the 576 cases submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and legal advice, 331 cases were subsequently taken to court. Of these, 11 cases resulted in convictions, one case was dismissed, and 319 cases remained pending in court.
The commissioner emphasized the government’s commitment to combating human trafficking and ensuring justice for victims. He noted that while progress has been made, challenges remain in addressing this complex issue comprehensively.
“The government continues to prioritize efforts to protect vulnerable individuals from trafficking and to prosecute perpetrators,” Kambere affirmed.
