KAMPALA — A frustrated mother whose daughter died in Saudi Arabia under unclear circumstances has threatened to drag government to court— demanding for the remains of her daughter to be repatriated so the family can give her a descent burial.
Ms. Sarah Nabukeera, a mother to the deceased being assisted by Migrant Workers’ Voice, a labour organisation fighting for rights of migrant workers has threatened legal action citing illegal and unclear death and burial of a one Shadia Najjuko (31) who died from Saudi Arabia in June 2021.
The NGO has previously assisted several migrant workers whose rights have been violated while at work to seek justice.
Through their lawyers of Arthur-arutha Legal & Co. Advocates, the family wants the Attorney General within 10 days to prevail over the line Ministries and relevant authorities.
Najjuko was externalized by ABS Consulting Group Ltd, a firm duly authorized and licensed by the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development to operate as a house maid in Riydh for Bajdaa Jaza Qaynan Almutai.
ABS Consulting Group Ltd and Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development are accused of failing to make due diligence to ensure that the late Najjuko would be protected from violations that indeed claimed her life and was hurriedly buried in Saudi Arabia.
“Our client’s efforts to get a post mortem report and retrieve the body of the late have been rendered futile. Indeed, this is buttressed by the report issued by the Ministry of Gender indicating that the government failed to obtain a medical report and death certificate to prove the cause of death and neither has the ministry been provided information pertaining to the place of burial of the remains of the late,” lead counsel Arthur Murangira wrote in a legal notice to the Attorney General.
Lawyers also reminded the Attorney General that under Article 3 of the agreement executed on 27th December 2017 between the Ministry of Gender in Uganda and the Ministry of Gender in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, enjoins parties to protect the rights of domestic workers externalized in line with applicable laws.
In this particular case, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is accused of failing to engage her counterpart in Saudi Arabia to provide details about the cause of death of Najjuko, exhume her body and return the same for a decent burial at home which position lays a firm foundation for demanding of damages.
“The import of this letter therefore is to request your good office to advise and engage the line ministry and other relevant authorities to spearhead the process to exhume remains of the late Shadia Najjuko, return the same for a decent burial and compensate the family reasonably for the loss caused failure whereof we shall seek legal redress,” Murangira noted.
