By Ismael Kasooha
NAIROBI
A Ugandan delegation led by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja last week held discussions with diplomats from the Thai Embassy in Nairobi on strategies to curb the trafficking of Ugandans through the Southeast Asian country.
Accompanied by Ministers of State Henry Okello Oryem (Foreign Affairs), Amos Lugoloobi (Finance), Gen. David Muhoozi (Internal Affairs), Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi, and other government officials, Nabbanja said many young Ugandans have been trafficked to various countries via Thailand after being promised better job opportunities abroad.
“We continue to receive reports of Ugandans who are trafficked to other countries through Thailand. We need to work together to address this challenge,” Nabbanja told Thai officials.
The delegation was in Kenya for a two-day working visit aimed at engaging diplomatic missions and development institutions that are non-resident in Uganda, but serve the country from Kenya.
Piyaporn Putanapan, the Acting Royal Thai Ambassador to Nairobi, who is also accredited to Uganda, stated that the Thai government is committed to working closely with Ugandan authorities to ensure the safety of Ugandans living in or traveling through Thailand.
“We take this issue very seriously. We do not wish any harm on young, vibrant and talented Ugandans, and we do not want such incidents to occur,” Putanapan said. “We are ready to work with Ugandan authorities to ensure their safety and to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.”
Putanapan also expressed interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Uganda and Thailand for the mutual benefit of both countries.
During the visit, facilitated by the Government of Uganda and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Prime Minister and her delegation also met representatives of diplomatic missions from Brazil, Australia, Finland, Indonesia, Romania and the Philippines, all based in Kenya. They further engaged development partners and private sector players, including the European Investment Bank and Google.
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