Former Parliamentary aspirant appeals to First Lady over alleged human trafficking scam

Ntungamo, Uganda  |THE INDEPENDENT |  Winnie Twinomugisha Ndiyo, a former aspirant for the Ntungamo woman parliamentary seat in the 2021 elections, is appealing to First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni for assistance in recovering sh7 million she claims was lost in a human trafficking scam.

She accuses Ruhama East Member of Parliament Benjamin Kamukama Katangura of facilitating her alleged trafficking to Dubai under the guise of securing her a teaching job. Last year, disturbing videos of Twinomugisha pleading for rescue from a Dubai trafficking center circulated widely on social media. In the videos, she claimed to be among several Ugandan women held at the facility and prepared for sale to prospective buyers.

In response, MP Kamukama denies wrongdoing and accuses Twinomugisha of tarnishing his name. He acknowledges helping her travel to the UAE but insists she did not pay the SH7 million directly to him.

“She’s unfairly accusing me. I’ve helped over 150 women travel to Saudi Arabia, and I even offered her a return ticket, which she declined,” Kamukama said.

“I only connected her to a company. The money she paid didn’t come to me.” He added that Twinomugisha owes a UGX 17 million loan and questioned why she is escalating the matter politically rather than resolving it through dialogue. “She’s blocking me and her husband. I’m open to talking,” he said.

Twinomugisha back in Uganda

In an interview with URN following her return to Uganda, Twinomugisha narrated that her troubles began when financial hardship forced her to seek employment abroad. She said she approached MP Kamukama, a longtime friend, who promised her a domestic teaching job in the UAE.

According to her account, Kamukama and his wife, through THK-Company, demanded a payment of over UGX 7 million, which she borrowed from a SACCO, using her father as a guarantor. However, upon arrival in Dubai, she was abandoned at a reception center and offered no job. Twinomugisha recounted resisting attempts to confiscate her phone and passport—an ordeal she says many other women did not survive. With help from colleagues and well-wishers in Dubai, she managed to escape and return to Uganda. Since her return, she claims to have made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Kamukama. She is now pleading for intervention from the First Lady, saying her father’s property is at risk as the SACCO demands repayment.

Currently living with a friend in Ntinda, Twinomugisha says her life is under threat from unknown individuals warning her to stop speaking out against Kamukama. Despite recording statements at Old-Kira Road Police Station and CID Headquarters in Kibuli, she says she has not received adequate protection or support. “I’m seeking the First Lady’s intervention as my last resort,” she said.

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