Transnational Human Trafficking and Child Labour: “The Ugandan Exprience”

This study investigated Transnational Human Trafficking and Child Labour: “The Ugandan experience”. Its main objective was to examine the factors for the increasing transnational human trafficking and child labour in and across borders of Uganda and EAC. It was guided by three Specific Objectives including; to find out the root causes of transnational human trafficking and child labour at Mutukula and Mpondwe Border posts despite the existing legal provisions in place in Uganda and EAC; to investigate the challenges and barriers faced by institutions and law enforcement officers in stopping transnational human trafficking and child labour at Mutukula and Mpondwe Border posts in Rakai and Kasese Districts of Uganda; to suggest the possible ways Rakai and Kasese Community’s can use to come up with single legislation to curb transnational human trafficking and child labour. The case study research design was adopted for this study. I adopted a qualitative research approach. The study was carried out in Uganda along border points of Mutukula = Uganda and Tanzania and Mpondwe-Lhubiriha = of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Data was collected from 40 participants using interviews and Focus group discussions. The findings revealed several interconnected root causes of transnational human trafficking and child labour at Uganda’s Mutukula and Mpondwe - Lhubiriha border points as Poverty, Domestic violence , Cross-border tribal and familial ties, poor law enforcement capacity, including lack of resources, inadequate infrastructure, porous borders, and limited awareness of relevant laws among local leaders, Corruption among officials and irresponsible parenting. The study revealed challenges constraining efforts to curb human trafficking and child labour such as the widespread lack of legal knowledge among local leaders, who are ill-equipped to identify and respond to trafficking due to limited training and sensitization. Enforcement efforts are hampered by underpaid and under-resourced officers, leading to poor morale, corruption, and insufficient manpower to monitor porous borders. Compounding this is a troubling lack of patriotism among some law enforcers, who prioritize personal gain over national duty, often colluding with traffickers. The situation is further exacerbated by unregulated births, which leave many children without legal identity, making them invisible to the state and easy targets for exploitation. Finally, ongoing political instability in neighbouring countries like the DRC has led to an influx of vulnerable, undocumented refugee children, heightening the risk of trafficking and overwhelming the already strained protective systems. The study recommends the recruitment of more immigration and anti-trafficking officers, particularly at unofficial border points, and equipping them with modern surveillance tools. The findings also emphasize the need to invest in intelligence services to expose government insiders complicit in trafficking networks. Legal literacy is another priority, with calls to translate child protection laws and ordinances into local languages to empower grassroots leaders and communities. Civic education programs targeting local council leaders and teachers were proposed to raise awareness and improve enforcement of child labour and anti-trafficking laws. Additionally, introducing local child identification cards and quarterly-updated village child registers would enhance monitoring and protection of children in border areas. Lastly, the implementation of stricter penalties for traffickers was strongly recommended as a deterrent, with some respondents advocating for life imprisonment or capital punishment to reflect the severity of the crimes.