The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), under the Trafficking in Persons Unit, has registered an increase in the number of convictions secured.

Derrick Basalirwa Kigenyi, the Deputy National Coordinator for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in Uganda, made the revelation during a press conference held at the Police Headquarters in Naguru on February 5, 2024.

Kigenyi was updating the public on the performance of the Directorate since the year 2023 ended in relation to the Trafficking in Persons’ mobile app that is under the ODPP.

He said that the unit had secured a total of 211 convictions in 2023, which came from 86 cases.

“As of February 1, 2024, the ODPP under the trafficking in persons unit secured a total of 211 convictions. These were secured from 86 cases as compared to 2022, which had only 94 convictions secured in 79 cases,” Kigenyi said.

“This shows a very drastic increase in the number of convictions secured of up to a 200 percent increment,” Kigenyi added.

According to Kigenyi, the convictions involve up to 940 suspects who were secured from 211 convictions.

Kigenyi noted that of the 940 suspects, 162 victims were affected by the activities of these traffickers, which shows that one trafficker can affect more than one person as a victim, including relatives and friends, among others, adding that the number of suspects identified emanated from 1980 cases that were filed at the ODPP.

He also informed the public that the statistics are ongoing because Trafficking in Persons’ mobile application at the ODPP updates on a daily basis, so one may find some of the numbers changed either by an increment or a reduction.

Trafficking in Persons’ mobile application was launched by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) in partnership with the Human Trafficking Institute with the aim of curbing human trafficking in the country.