The Bugisu Cultural Institution has called on the Ugandan government to urgently halt the ongoing mistreatment and rights violations of Ugandan citizens working abroad, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

Steven Masiga, the spokesperson for the cultural institution, publicly criticized the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development for failing to adequately regulate the externalization of labor.

Masiga stated that leaving the recruitment process almost entirely in the hands of unregulated private agencies has exposed vulnerable workers to human rights abuses without sufficient oversight.

The cultural institution is urging state authorities to take direct responsibility for bilateral labor agreements to ensure safe working conditions and fair treatment for all Ugandan migrant laborers.