By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
An ex-MP aspirant in Uganda is seeking justice nearly a month after allegedly being defrauded by MP Benjamin Kamukama Katangura, Ruhama East County Member of Parliament, in a fake job deal promising employment opportunities in Dubai. The victim claims to have lost millions of shillings in the scam and accuses the legislator of failing to deliver on his promises or refund the money, leaving her stranded and frustrated in a foreign land.
Kamukama has since come under public scrutiny following allegations of human trafficking raised against him.The accusations surfaced after Winnie Twinomugisha, a former Ntungamo District Woman MP aspirant, accused the legislator of facilitating her travel to Dubai under false pretenses.
In audio recordings circulating on WhatsApp groups, Twinomugisha pleads for public assistance, claiming she is stranded in Dubai. She alleges that she initially applied for a teaching job, but upon arrival, discovered that her visa categorized her as a housemaid.
Speaking to Parrots UG on Wednesday (January 22), Twinomugisha recounted how she trusted Hon. Kamukama to secure a teaching opportunity for her in Dubai.
“I had a video interview with the legislator’s agents at Sister’s House in Ntinda, where I requested a domestic teaching job. However, when I arrived in Dubai, I was abandoned at a center with over 80 stranded and miserable women, including about 40 Ugandans,” she said.
Twinomugisha further revealed that at the center, the caretaker attempted to confiscate her phone and passport. She said people who are housed in that centre are subjected to torture and starvation because they are not allowed to move out of the building.
“One morning, the woman came with a colleague to take my phone and passport. I had hidden them in my undergarments after being tipped off by other stranded women,” she narrated.
She alleges that after resisting, she was beaten and taken to an unknown location before being abandoned on the streets.
Twinomugisha, who claims she paid Shs5 million to Hon. Kamukama to facilitate her travel and job search, accuses the MP of neglecting her plight. A friend in a distant state eventually helped her secure temporary accommodation, but she remains in dire circumstances.
Earlier this month, Hon. Kamukama admitted to Daily Monitor that he facilitated Twinomugisha’s travel to the UAE after she expressed financial desperation.
“… I have facilitated the travel of around 154 women to Saudi Arabia. When they fail, I bring them back. I even offered to buy her a return ticket, but it seems she doesn’t want to return,” Kamukama stated.
However, Twinomugisha refuted these claims, alleging that the MP only refunded Shs3 million after facing social media pressure. She also stated that Kamukama has failed to respond to her calls and messages to cancel her visa, a prerequisite for her return to Uganda.
“Uncle Fred Bamwesigye, the Director of Civil Aviation Authority Uganda, offered to buy me a return ticket. However, when I reached the airport on January 10, I was told to return to the immigration office to cancel my visa. The officials said the visa is still valid, and Hon. Kamukama must handle the cancellation. It seems his agents here are still demanding money from him,” Twinomugisha explained.
She denied allegations that she is being used by the MP’s political opponents to tarnish his image. “I am not against his political career. I am fighting for my life, and all I need is to return home safely,” she said.
Twinomugisha has since sought help from the Ugandan embassy in the UAE to facilitate her deportation.
As of December 31, 2024, over 1,000 Ugandans were reportedly living in the UAE without proper documentation, with many facing potential arrest after the amnesty period ended.
Efforts to reach Hon. Kamukama for comment on processing Twinomugisha’s return were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to multiple phone calls from Parrots Media. kamukama
