Uganda
Our Work in Uganda
After establishing relationships with the Ugandan government and entering into a formal agreement, we embedded our first expert in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Uganda in 2017. The Government of Uganda has shown its commitment to decimating trafficking in the years since by partnering with us to improve its justice system response to human trafficking cases. We have provided experts on the ground to work alongside prosecutors as they properly charge suspected traffickers, prepare for trials, and ensure they are handling each case in a victim-centered way. Uganda has worked tirelessly to improve its trafficking response and has celebrated major successes in convicting traffickers and protecting victims throughout the country, with significant support from the Human Trafficking Institute Uganda.
How we have implemented our
proven model in Uganda
Our Progress
Specialized Unit
Prosecution Expert
Next Steps
Academy
Law Enforcement Expert
How we work
In 2018, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions named a dedicated prosecutor to oversee human trafficking cases in Uganda’s court system and develop the specialized anti-human trafficking department. Our team works closely with this lead to ensure prosecutors are well-prepared to try human trafficking in victim-centered ways. We also regularly provide specialized training and technical guidance to the Uganda Police Force Criminal Investigations Division human trafficking investigators.
Our expert Special Counsel sits within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to provide real-time guidance and recommendations as prosecutors move human trafficking cases through the justice system. By working in the same office as prosecutors every day, our embedded expert can ensure each prosecutor has the tools and knowledge to properly try cases and seek justice for victims of trafficking.
The Uganda team also includes a Victim Assistance Coordinator who helps coordinate services for victims identified during investigations. The coordinator ensures survivors are connected with local service providers and receive the care they need after leaving exploitation. She also helps survivors prepare to testify in their traffickers’ trials and works with their social workers to make sure they feel safe and empowered. This position is essential to providing survivors with victim-centered care and connecting them with resources in all areas of the country.
The Uganda team and U.S.-based staff work together to create an intensive training program for the members of the specialized anti-trafficking units called the Human Trafficking Academy. Experts from HTI, law enforcement specialists, and victim service professionals provide in-depth hands-on training and guide attendees through a simulated human trafficking case from start to finish. The next Academy will build off of the Global Academy we hosted in 2018 which investigators, prosecutors, and victim specialists from Uganda attended.
Empower prosecutors in Uganda to
stop traffickers
Need Help?
If you are in immediate danger in Uganda, call 112 from a mobile phone or 999 from a landline phone. To report human
trafficking in Uganda, especially involving child trafficking, call the Uganda Child Helpline at 116 or the Police Toll-Free Number at:
080-019-9195.
If you are in Uganda and would like more programmatic information, please send an email to contact@traffickinginstitute.org
Updates from Uganda
Coordinated Action in Uganda Leads to Accountability in Trafficking Case
At a young age, Sanyu* came into the wrong hands and was exploited for years in a case of forced begging. Her traffickers used her medical condition for financial gain by forcing her to beg for money…
