Uganda Remains on US Tier 2 Trafficking Watchlist Amidst Progress and Persistent Gaps

Uganda has once again been placed on the Tier 2 Watchlist in the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. While the report commends Uganda for increasing its efforts, particularly in prosecuting and convicting more traffickers, it highlights that the nation does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking.

In 2025, Ugandan courts convicted 171 traffickers, a significant rise from 101 in 2024, with victim identifications doubling to 801. However, the number of new trafficking cases investigated by authorities saw a slight decrease, dropping from 1,262 in 2024 to 1,177 in 2025. Observers noted that specialized anti-trafficking units face considerable resource limitations, impacting their ability to cover all jurisdictions and collect sufficient evidence for prosecutions.

A critical issue identified is the lack of a formal legal framework for victim-witness protection, which hampers investigations and prosecutions. The report also continues to note concerns about official complicity, with some instances of local law enforcement allegedly accepting bribes or tipping off trafficking networks. Although no public officials were prosecuted domestically for trafficking, a Ugandan judge was convicted in the UK in May 2025 for labor trafficking.

Emerging threats are also a significant concern. Traffickers are increasingly using social media to lure educated Ugandans with false job offers, often leading them to Southeast Asia for online scams or forced commercial sex. In Eastern Europe, Ugandans are being targeted with fake security contracts, sometimes coerced into military service or placed in hazardous labor conditions under surveillance. Domestically, climate-induced poverty, particularly in rural areas like the Karamoja region, continues to push vulnerable populations towards forced begging, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation, both within Uganda and across the Kenyan border.

To improve its standing, the U.S. State Department recommends Uganda approve and fund its National Action Plan, enact victim-witness protection legislation, hold corrupt officials accountable, and enhance oversight of private labor export agencies.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)