Working for a Senior Three student, a 38-year-old woman named Harriet Nasuuna has been arrested in Wakiso by the military and police as she claimed to work as a job recruitment agent.
She alleges that she was employed by an 18-year-old Senior Three student named William Mugenyi. These job opportunities are said to be based in Kenya.
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Nasuuna had managed to recruit a total of 179 young individuals from various parts of the country, and they were being housed at her residence in Kakiri, Wakiso district.
Among the 179 individuals, approximately 98 of them had reportedly paid 100,000 Shillings each as a fee for job recruitment in Kenya, totaling 9.8 million Shillings in collected fees.
The remaining 81 individuals had each paid 50,000 Shillings, amounting to four million Shillings in fees. This implies that Nasuuna and Mugenyi had collected a total of 13.8 million Shillings from job seekers hailing from Nansana, Kyengera, Bukomero, Butambala, Kasese, Fort Portal, and Kyegegwa.
Nasuuna explained that her instructions came from Mugenyi, who tasked her with recruiting energetic young men and women for jobs in Kenya.
She had been sourcing candidates by word of mouth, with one person informing another about this supposed employment opportunity. She identified her boss as Mugenyi William, a resident of Kapeka Semuto in Nakaseke district.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, and Maj Charles Kabona, the UPDF First Division Spokesperson, both stated that the information gathered indicates that Mugenyi is a Senior Three student at Kapeka Secondary School.
Allegedly, Mugenyi acted as an agent for his sister, Carol, who is associated with the Humble Company in Nairobi, Kenya.
The victims, comprising both males and females, had gathered at Nasuuna Harriet’s residence in Nampunge village, Kakiri sub-county, Wakiso district, in anticipation of transportation to Nairobi, Kenya.
Maj Kabona expressed that Nasuuna’s actions were considered a security threat and human trafficking.
The authorities were alerted by locals who became concerned about the diverse group of youths gathered at Nasuuna’s residence, speaking different languages, suggesting they had been brought from various areas.
Further investigations revealed that the victims were being enticed with positions such as waiters, waitresses, supermarket attendants, and casual laborers at St. Mary’s Coffee Company in Kenya.
In total, 179 victims, including 99 males and 80 females, were rescued and taken to Kakiri police station for arrangements to facilitate their return to their respective homes.
The victims disclosed that Nasuuna had instructed them to inform their colleagues about these employment opportunities in Kenya.
The promise of these jobs had generated excitement, and the fees required to secure them were deemed affordable. Some victims even referred their friends, as they had been struggling with unemployment for an extended period.
Security authorities have committed to reuniting the victims with their families and ensuring their participation in government programs.
This situation underscores the issue of job scarcity in Uganda, which has led many young people to fall prey to employment scams. Some have lost substantial sums of money, while others have resorted to selling their possessions in pursuit of job opportunities in countries like Canada and South Korea, only to find themselves in dire situations.
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