The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has recorded 3,259 cases of trafficking in persons from July 2023 to early December 2024,and 446 suspects arrested in connection with these crimes.
A total of 4,965 trafficked personshave been recorded and 79.7% of these are children. This means that an estimated 2,500minors were trafficked, for various reasons including but not limited to , sex trafficking , 658 cases of labor trafficked.
During a press conference at Police Headquarters in Naguru,Derrick Kigenyi Basalirwa, Deputy Coordinator of the National Coordination and Prevention of Human Trafficking, provided a breakdown of the cases across Uganda’s regions. Mbale district has the highest cases at 373 followed by Kampala with 313 cases, Masaka with 250, Jinja 253, and Nakawa 233 cases. Other are with 173 cases each and Mukono -161 cases.
Basalirwa noted the rising cases of trafficking in persons in Uganda and warned parents, students, and the general public to remain vigilant during the holiday season. Gangsters are increasingly using the internet to lure victims with promises of scholarships, job opportunities, and entertainment offers, among many other incidents.
According to Basalirwa 6.6% of trafficking cases involve victims trafficked outside Uganda the rest are within the borders of Uganda.
