The Kampala Metropolitan Police are having in detention four suspects for allegedly holding an illegal demonstration near the Parliament of Uganda.

The suspected protestors were arrested at around 10am on Monday while singing on top of their voices instigating others to join them.

The four, according to Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, were delivering a petition protesting against the continuing detention of Ugandans stranded in Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries in Middle East Asia.

“We are investigating the circumstances under which a group of four were protesting at the Parliament of Uganda without notifying the Police for security,” Owoyesigyire said at a press conference in Nagulu on Monday.

“Holding peaceful assemblies is constitutional, but you must inform the Police because we are mandated to give you protection while
safeguarding rights of other Ugandans who are doing their own businesses,” he added.

Hundreds of Ugandans are stranded in different countries. Most of them went looking for jobs but did not find any.

Habib Buwembo, a political activist appealed to the government to assist stranded Ugandan citizens who are subjected to international humiliation and human rights violations.

“Some Ugandans are brought back in caskets following unexplained deaths. In most cases, the families of the victims have spoken of their people being subjected to extreme torture,” Buwembo added.

Following complaints of human rights abuses and poor working terms conditions, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development went ahead to tighten its grip on external labour export companies with new regulations.

“The Employment (Recruitment of Ugandan migrant workers) Regulations 2021 Statutory Instrument 47 of 2021”, seeks to among others revoke the Employment (Recruitment of Ugandan migrant Workers Abroad) Regulations, 2005, Statutory Instrument 62 of 2005, upholding the dignity and rights of migrant workers by prescribing the appropriate terms and conditions of their employment and providing mechanisms for regulating activities of companies and their agents.