Uganda’s Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Henry Tumukunde, has voiced significant concern over the government’s capacity to monitor and protect its citizens working overseas. According to the minister, relying merely on recruitment and deployment is insufficient; the state must proactively ensure the safety of migrant workers once they leave the country.
Appearing before the Parliament of Uganda Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, Tumukunde stressed that preparing and training workers before departure is only half the battle.
“How do you reach there?” Tumukunde asked the committee, emphasizing that without adequate logistical facilitation, government officials cannot effectively monitor the welfare of workers in foreign countries.
He questioned whether existing bilateral agreements are genuinely translating into robust protection for citizens. Given the massive financial remittances sent back home, Tumukunde urged the government to view the labour export sector not as a peripheral issue, but as a critical component of the national economy that warrants serious investment.
The Urgent Need for Better Oversight and Funding
Tumukunde highlighted a looming crisis, noting that approximately 5.5 million Ugandans under the age of 30 are currently neither employed nor in training. If left unaddressed, this demographic challenge could severely worsen in the coming years.
Furthermore, he addressed the severe issue of human trafficking, urging for stronger multi-institutional controls to curb the exploitation often hidden within the labour export sector. However, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development faces its own internal challenges. Tumukunde openly acknowledged issues such as fragmented service delivery, weak oversight, and chronic underfunding that hinder support for vulnerable populations.
“Are you really giving it enough time? Are you giving it enough coverage? Are you providing the appropriate budget that is supposed to take care of these very, very vulnerable people?” Tumukunde pressed. He criticized the current “technical fractures” where funds allocated to the gender ministry are sent to districts but administered through external structures, heavily diluting effective political supervision.
During the session, Hon. Richard Wanyama (NRM, Samia Bugwe Central County) challenged the minister regarding funding absorption, pointing out that the ministry had failed to fully utilize its previously allocated budget of Shs410 billion, having spent only Shs333 billion. Nonetheless, Wanyama agreed that young women who go abroad are frequently cheated by recruitment agencies.
Offering a supportive stance, Hon. Sowedi Kitanywa, MP for Busongora County North, encouraged Tumukunde to aggressively lobby the Cabinet for more resources, promising robust parliamentary backing for systemic improvements in the labour export sector.
For continuous updates on regional socio-economic challenges, stay connected with the latest African political news. For regional travel insights, check our comprehensive African travel guides, and explore more in-depth reporting at Afrikeye.
