Uganda’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Zaake Kibedi, has said that the man accused of running a sex-trafficking ring in Dubai is not a Ugandan national. He explained that the suspect was arrested after cooperation between UAE authorities and the embassy of his home country.
Kibedi identified the suspect, named in a BBC investigation as Charles “Abbey” Mwesigwa, and confirmed that his arrest followed coordination between law-enforcement agencies in the UAE and the embassy representing his country. He told reporters in Kampala that the person reported to be trafficking Ugandans was not a Ugandan citizen and that the arrest was made through collaboration with his country’s embassy.
The ambassador said he could not reveal Mwesigwa’s nationality because of diplomatic restrictions.
Reports indicate that the suspect held a UK driving licence and had previously lived in Britain, where he worked as a bus driver before moving to Dubai.
According to the BBC World Service investigation, women were allegedly tricked into traveling to Dubai with false promises of jobs and were later forced into prostitution.
The report caused public outrage in Uganda and led to the arrest of Mwesigwa, who is now being held at Al Awir Central Prison in Dubai. A law firm in Dubai confirmed his detention to the BBC.
Following these revelations, Uganda’s National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and the police launched a joint investigation after claims that Mwesigwa’s partners had gained access to victims’ personal information from the national ID register.
NIRA said its database was still secure, but it did not mention who would lead the investigation or when it would end.
Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, said the government was increasing supervision of labour-export companies. He stated that the government would not allow young Ugandan women to be misled with fake job offers and forced into harsh conditions abroad, and assured that authorities would take strong action.
