Ugandans Trapped: Misery at Home, Peril Abroad Amid Sovereignty Bill Push

Ugandans in the diaspora often lead decent lives abroad, but many endure menial, dangerous jobs just to survive, unlike the privileged few. Most would prefer staying home if livelihoods and dignity were assured in Uganda, a resource-rich nation plagued by poverty.

The author questions why Ugandans build other countries with their skills while their homeland lags. Families suffer as children grow up disconnected from their roots, speaking foreign accents and knowing Uganda only through screens.

Blame falls on corrupt, violent leadership under President Museveni, whose neoliberal policies in the 1990s and 2000s wrecked industries, devalued the shilling, and fueled unemployment. Retirees lost savings to medical bills, and ‘black tax’ stifled progress for the working class.

A ‘hustle culture’ emerged, pitting educated graduates against flashy criminals. This drove the ‘kyeeyo’ migration boom, with remittances topping a billion dollars yearly, but at the cost of modern-day slavery-like conditions.

Post-2005, term limits were scrapped, turning elections into military exercises. The state is absent for services like healthcare but swift with brutal force against protests. Repressive laws like the Public Order Management Act and Anti-Homosexuality Act proliferated.

Now, the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, targets the million-strong diaspora. It threatens to strip citizenship from critics, ignoring public opposition and pretending to safeguard ‘sovereignty’ while relying on foreign aid. Critics see it as paranoia from an overstayed regime.

Diaspora Ugandans like the author often aid compatriots trapped by harsh immigration policies abroad. Thus, citizens are damned staying home or fleeing for greener pastures.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)