The Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development has confirmed that the number of Ugandan migrant workers who perished in a recent fire in Kuwait has increased from seven to eleven.
Permanent Secretary Aggrey Kibenge stated that the Ugandan government is coordinating with Kuwaiti authorities to identify the deceased and facilitate the repatriation of their remains.
The blaze, which erupted over the weekend, quickly consumed a residential building, trapping numerous migrant workers, including Ugandans. Early reports from Kuwaiti media suggest the fire may have been sparked by an electrical fault, though official investigations are still underway.
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Speaking to the Nile Post, Kibenge reiterated the government’s commitment to working alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ugandan embassy in Riyadh to address the aftermath of the tragedy.
“This is a deeply painful event. We are working closely with the Kuwaiti government and our diplomatic missions to manage the situation,” he said.
He also shared that a concerned parent had contacted the ministry after failing to reach her son for two days prior to the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that none of the victims were listed in the ministry’s official labor migration registry, indicating they may have been recruited through unlicensed channels.
“This points to a serious issue—these individuals likely did not go through approved labor export companies, which puts them at risk due to lack of legal safeguards abroad,” Kibenge explained.
The ministry has since urged Ugandans seeking jobs overseas to use only licensed recruitment agencies to ensure they are properly documented and protected under formal bilateral agreements.
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