Disgraced Ugandan Envoy to the UK Expelled Over Human Trafficking

A senior Ugandan envoy stationed in the United Kingdom has returned to Kampala after being expelled from the country over serious human trafficking allegations.

The envoy, whose identity Hoimapost.co.ug has chosen to withhold for sensitivity, is accused of engaging in human trafficking under the guise of diplomatic privileges, reportedly smuggling Ugandan women into the UK under the pretense of hiring domestic workers.

“British authorities uncovered that these women were later exploited and sold into domestic servitude, with [the envoy] profiting from their labor,” a source told Hoimapost.co.ug.

According to reports, UK intelligence had been monitoring the envoy for months after whispers of these allegations began circulating. The case escalated when one of the trafficked women escaped and exposed the fraudulent work papers that had been used to bring her into the country.

A source close to the accused diplomat, who labeled the allegations as “fabricated stories,” stated that they were unable to comment on the matter publicly due to Public Service Orders restricting engagement with the media without approval from the Permanent Secretary.

“I can only mention that whatever information you have seems concocted and full of falsehoods,” the source close to the envoy remarked.

The envoy reportedly told a third party that the domestic worker at the center of the controversy was trying to stay in the UK by seeking asylum, despite the envoy’s efforts to prevent it.

Efforts to reach Mr. Vincent Bagiire, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were unsuccessful, and Amb. Nimisha Madhvani, the envoy’s direct superior in the UK, could not be reached for comment.

However, the envoy’s return to Kampala, coupled with the admission that a domestic worker was involved, lends weight to the allegations.

A Pattern of Diplomatic Scandals

This scandal adds to the growing list of issues involving Uganda’s foreign missions. In August, reports surfaced that Ugandan diplomats in Dubai were implicated in illegal gambling activities within the consulate, leading Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Muwada Nkunyingi to raise concerns in Parliament.

In the same month, Uganda’s envoy to Canada, Joy Ruth Acheng, was expelled by the Canadian government after being declared persona non grata.

These incidents follow other diplomatic controversies, including money laundering in Abuja and Algiers, embezzlement allegations in New York, tax evasion in Kinshasa, and mysterious fires at Uganda’s Embassy in Nairobi.