Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Uganda’s Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, has ordered the arrest of Charles “Abbey” Mwesigwa, a Ugandan man exposed by BCC World Service for running a sex-trafficking ring in Dubai that has left many Ugandan girls exploited, some losing their lives.
“This gentleman, featured in the investigative @BBCWorld story, must be arrested. We shall work with @Interpol to ensure he is brought to justice,” Balaam wrote on X, condemning the abuse of desperate Ugandan youth.
“The desperation of our young people for income and employment should never be exploited by treating them as sex objects. Such acts are despicable,” he said.
The BBC traced Mwesigwa, who claims to be a former London bus driver, to Jumeirah Village Circle, a middle-class Dubai neighbourhood. Undercover reporters posing as event organisers recorded him offering women for sex parties at $1,000 (UGX 3.7m) per night, with higher fees for “crazy stuff.”
According to the investigation by BBC’s Runako Celina, Mwesigwa allegedly controls about 25 women, using intermediaries’ names to rent apartments and cars.
One of his former associates, identified as Troy, told the BBC that nightclub security personnel are bribed to allow access for women to wealthy clients, including celebrities and businessmen.
Victims’ Accounts
Ugandan women victims the BBC spoke to revealed they were deceived with promises of supermarket or hotel jobs, only to be forced into sex work. “Mia,” whose name was changed for her safety, said she was informed she owed $2,700 (UGX 10m) upon arrival — a debt that doubled in just two weeks.
“That means you have to work hard, hard, hard, pleading for men to come and sleep with you,” she recounted.
Another victim, “Lexi,” also an alias, revealed she was offered AED 15,000 ($4,084) to be gang-raped, urinated on, and recorded eating faeces. She claimed Dubai police dismissed her appeals for help, telling her, “You Africans cause problems for each other. We don’t want to get involved.”
Deaths Under Suspicious Circumstances
The investigation also linked Mwesigwa’s network to the deaths of two Ugandan women in Dubai high-rises: Monic Karungi (2022) and Kayla Birungi (2021).
Monic, who travelled from western Uganda expecting supermarket work, reportedly owed Mwesigwa more than $27,000 (UGX 101m) before her death. She had moved out of his flat and was seeking other employment when she fell from a balcony.
Her body was never repatriated and is believed to be buried in Dubai’s Al Qusais Cemetery in an unmarked grave.
A toxicology report seen by the BBC showed no drugs or alcohol in Kayla’s system, despite initial police claims.
Human Trafficking Concerns
Uganda has more than 165,000 labour migrants working in Gulf states, remitting over $1.2 billion (UGX 4.5 trillion) annually, according to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. But rights groups warn that trafficking and forced labour remain rampant, with at least 88 Ugandans reported dead in the Middle East between 2019 and 2023.
Mariam Mwiza, an activist supporting rescued victims, said her organisation has handled more than 700 abuse cases from across the Gulf. “We get cases of people who were promised supermarket jobs and end up sold as prostitutes,” she said.
While Balaam pledged to work with Interpol and UAE authorities to ensure Mwesigwa is held accountable, the accused has dismissed the allegations, insisting he only “invites big spenders” to parties and is not involved in prostitution.
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