Police in Kampala have arrested two people on human-trafficking charges after a 31-year-old woman was allegedly maimed to death in Jordan and her body repatriated back to Uganda last month.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday following investigation into the allegation of trafficking in persons reported at Katwe Police Station by one Moses Nyakana, a husband to the deceased, Juliet Nakiyemba.
Nyakana a resident of Kigaga Zone, Makindye told police that that Nakiyemba left his home in August 2018 claiming she had gone to the village to visit her sick parents.
The unsuspecting husband then rang to establish whether she had reached safely but attempts to reach Nakiyemba by phone were futile because she had blacklisted his calls.
After a few weeks, Nakiyemba sent him Whatsapp messages and voice notes telling him that she had flown abroad for greener pastures.
In September, Nyakana received a phone call from unknown people informing him that his wife was very ill and was to be repatriated back to Uganda.
"He did not take the call serious because she had barely spent a month in Jordan. He was then called the second time by another anonymous caller who told him that Nakiyemba was mentally ill and had committed suicide by jumping through a window of a five storeyed building," said Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Mr Luke Owoyesigyire.
Nakiyemba's husband then reported the case to police in order to establish the company responsible for trafficking her to Jordan.
"It was established that Nakiyemba was trafficked to Jordan in the month of August 2018 through Rwanda by Al Saudi Agency. Al Saudi is a licensed company under Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development located along Kibuye Salaama Road," Mr Owosigyire added in a statement.
Medical reports revealed that Nakiyemba died on September 4, 2018 and her body was repatriated back 20 days later before it was taken to City Mortuary for post mortem.
"Post mortem report confirms that two of the deceased's kidneys had been removed, a condition that may have resulted into her sudden death," the police spokesperson added.
In a bid to reduce the plight many Ugandans go through while desperately searching for employment abroad, police cautioned those seeking to travel abroad for work to guard against traffickers and unlicensed recruitment companies.
"Any person in doubt about the credibility of his or her recruiter should contact the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development on telephone number: 041-4 345002," Mr Owoyesigyire added.
