As Uganda prepares to join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the Government has raised concern over an emerging form of human trafficking involving forced criminality.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, traffickers are increasingly recruiting victims through deceptive online interactions before coercing them into committing cyber-enabled crimes, a trend that officials say is gradually replacing some of the more traditional forms of cross-border trafficking.
Derek Basalirwa Kigenyi, the Deputy National Coordinator of the Directorate for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said traffickers often target victims through social media platforms, where they build trust and establish seemingly genuine relationships before luring them into criminal networks.
Once recruited, victims are allegedly forced to participate in online scams involving mobile money fraud, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency-related schemes, as well as other forms of cybercrime.
Kigenyi said the criminal networks exploit digital financial platforms and telecommunications services to defraud unsuspecting people while subjecting victims to exploitation and coercion.
He also revealed that Uganda has registered 5,126 trafficking in person’s cases involving 8,494 victims. According to the ministry, 1,019 suspects have been arrested, while 1,013 have been convicted.
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is observed annually on July 30 to raise awareness about human trafficking, highlight the plight of victims, and promote the protection of their rights.
By Our Reporter
20th July 2026
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