Minister Otafiire cancels directive for internal organ testing at Victoria Hospital

By Charles Katabalwa

10^th Aug 2022

Internal Affairs Minister, Maj. Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire has crescinded his directive to labor export firms to take their clients to Victoria Hospital in Bukoto for a comprehensive internal organ examination.

About two months ago, Otafiire directed labor export firms to ensure that all prospective recruits for external labor under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) undergo internal organ testing at Victoria hospital.

Otafiire’s directive triggered uproar among labor exporters, saying that Victoria hospital is not among those accredited by the GCC.

The accredited medical facilities according to a list issued by the Uganda Association for External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA) are City Medical, Kaslon Medical, JB International, Medical World, Medicare Kampala, Bayan Diagnostic, Georo Medical and Travel Clinic.

They vowed not to be a party to an illegality. The labor export firms also informed Otafiire that he was not their line minister.

To prove their stand, UAERA petitioned the high court for an injunction restraining the internal affairs ministry from implementing the Minister’s directive.

A few days ago, the High Court Registrar in Kampala issued an interim order stopping the ministry from implementing the directive.

Otafiire said he was determined to ensure that labour exporters and traffickers stop abusing the rights of migrant workers who he said were being subjected to illegal organ extraction and fed to crocodiles.

Now, Otafiire has backtracked on his directive according to Simon Peter Mundeyi, the Internal Affairs Ministry Spokesperson.

He has confirmed the Minister’s letter, saying that the decision was in response to the uproar it caused and for the good of Ugandans since the directive would cause extra costs.