On the 29/12/2022 at around 1000c, traffic officers at Katonga Check point in Kayabwe town council Mpigi district impounded a taxi Reg No UBM 711K (Drone, grey in colour) on overloading charges as it was carrying excess passengers, 26 in number (including the driver). They included 24 Burundians – 01 female and 02 Ugandans (a driver and a conductor).
Through our investigations, we were able to establish that the 24 Burudians came from different villages and provinces in Burundi for casual work in Uganda, and that they paid 300,000 Mafaranga to Iteka service and Platinum bus which they boarded in different intervals from Burundi via Tanzania and the payment was specifically from Ngoli to Kampala.
Due to fear of being arrested by security at Mutukula boarder, they boarded off from the bus about 03 kilometers to the boarder. The bus operators connected them to a male Burundian known to them (by appearance) who led them through ‘panya’ routes to a tree plantation which is near Mutukula boarder. The same male Burundian connected them to the operators of a Ugandan taxi Reg No. UBM 711K to drive them up to Wakiso – Kampala.
The tax operators are:
• Katamba Yasin, the taxi driver and a resident of Pungwe village, Mukungwe sub-county in Masaka city.
• Ssali Haruna, a taxi conductor. He is a resident of Kabawo zone, Mutukula Town Council in Kyotera district, and operate from Mutukula-Kyotera district to Kampala.
They Burundians are currently held at Mpigi CPS to help in investigations while the taxi operators will be charged with trafficking in Persons, c/s 3(a) and 4 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act.
They are brought in as casual workers, some come as visitors on busy visas, others cross through Uganda to other destinations. When they come they are employed as bar attendants/waitress, dancers for Karaoke, sex workers etc
In another reported incident of an Illegal entry reported at Laguti Police Post vide SD ref 09/30/12/2022, Adokorach Magret, the chairperson LC 1 of layating village in Laguti sub county in Pader district, allegedly on 30/12/2022 at around 2155/c found Nyomuro Jackson aged 18yrs, a Burundian national of unknown place of residence yet loitering in their village. He was a stranger in the area and could not account for himself since he spoke language not understood by the locals. Out of suspicion, the reporter with the help of residents took the suspect to Laguti Police Post for further management.
We thank the officers for their timely intervention.
We urge the general public to remain vigilant and report such cases.
ACP Nabakka S. Claire
D/PRO/UPF
02 January 2023
