The government has called for vigilance among residents following a surge in human trafficking cases across the country.

This was announced on Monday, June 19, 2023, during the joint weekly security media briefing held at Naguru police headquarters in Kampala by Derrick Basalirwa Kigenyi, the media’s deputy national coordinator for the prevention of human trafficking in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Basalirwa Kigenyi said there is an upsurge in child trafficking and urged parents and guardians to keep extra vigilance on the security of their children.

“We want to warn parents, guardians, and school administrators to be vigilant concerning the safety of children because we continue to register child trafficking-related cases at the ministry,” said Basalirwa.

According to Basalirwa, just last week, a total of four girls were trafficked from Lyantonde district to Kampala by one Ssemanda Wasswa Brian.

Basalirwa said the suspect had connived with 48-year-old Scovia Nakanjako, who is a lawyer in Kampala.

“They trafficked the girls between April 11 and 14, 2023, and promised them good jobs in Kampala, but their hidden agenda was to recruit the girls as bar prostitutes”, he revealed.

Basalirwa cited another incident in which 20-year-old Shakira Naigaga allegedly trafficked five girls from Kamuli district and promised them jobs in Kenya.

He therefore argued that parents and guardians should interest themselves in supervising the activities of their children and the people they work with in search of jobs in different parts of the country.

In March 2023, a self-styled pastor identified as Kisoma Jackline, aged 34, together with her husband, Kisoma Daniel, aged 42, and their neighbor, Giita Edward, aged 48, were arrested on allegations of recruiting, receiving, and harboring 18 victims in their rented house at Nakuwadde village, Bulenga, and Mukono.