Uganda's Deputy PM Said She Didn't Know Ugandans Were Being Trafficked to Russia's Front. Their Families Did. Three Are Confirmed Dead.

Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, met families of Ugandan men trafficked to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine at her office in Kampala on August 15, 2026. Wives of the missing men presented a petition. Kadaga said she was shocked by what she heard.

"I did not know that we had Ugandans who were trafficked to Ukraine," she said. "I will raise the matter with the President [Yoweri Museveni] to see if we can repatriate them, dead or alive. Let's raise the issue and see what the President advises."

Jennifer Namuli

Among those who spoke was Jennifer Namuli, a mother of three. Her husband left for Russia in early December, having been promised a driving job. On arrival, he called to tell her he had been conscripted into the army. She last heard from him in February. She does not know whether he is alive.

Since then, Namuli has had no income. Her family has been evicted from the house they were renting. She was not alone. Other families in the room told similar accounts: a job offer, a departure, a last message, then silence.

What Uganda Knows

Three Ugandan nationals are confirmed killed in Russia's war. Their names appear in the verified record of 485 African nationals killed while fighting with Russian forces, published by StopRussianRecruiters.org on June 29, 2026.

At least one Ugandan national - Richard Akantorana, 45 - is held as a prisoner of war by Ukraine. He has been in detention since December 2025.

Uganda's foreign affairs ministry had previously said it was unable to repatriate victims because it did not know how they left the country - a statement that reflects the nature of the trafficking pipeline: men depart through normal border crossings on civilian travel documents, with nothing in their paperwork to indicate a military destination. Last month, the ministry wrote to Uganda's embassy in Moscow, asking it to investigate reports that it was not helping trafficked Ugandans return. Ambassador Moses Kizige confirmed he had submitted a report to Kampala but declined to share details.

What Has Been Done

Kenneth Oloka, a lawyer and executive director of Kyeyo Initiative Uganda, called on the government to adopt stricter enforcement. "The traffickers are exploiting loopholes in immigration to traffic Ugandans into forced labour abroad. The Police and immigration department need to step up their effort," he said.

Uganda is not the only country in this position. Since the start of 2026, more than 12 African countries have reported a surge in distress calls from citizens stuck at the Ukrainian front who were deceptively trafficked there. Zimbabwe has arrested nine individuals across six cases, including two Russian nationals - 'Sofia Leonova' and 'Leonid Koftov' - charged with recruitment offences. Angola sentenced two Russian nationals, Igor Racthin and Lev Lakshtanov, to 11 years each for recruiting Angolans. Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister traveled to Moscow in March; Lavrov assured him no further recruitment would take place. The recruitment continued.

Uganda is also home to one of the Russian recruitment companies operating across the region. Meteorinvestproekt LLC, directed by V.S. Tikhonov, has been documented soliciting Ugandan citizens for Russian Ministry of Defence contracts - taking up to 83% of the signing bonus as a "service fee" before recruits board a plane.

Kadaga said she would take the families' petition to the President. Whether that produces repatriation - of the living or the dead - remains to be seen.

People who were lured into Russia's army have a chance to save their lives through the "I Want to Live" project. Read more details here.

Source: New Vision Uganda