Family seeks repatriation after Shs 250 million court ruling

The family of Milly Namutamba, a Ugandan migrant worker who died in Saudi Arabia, has expressed relief following a High Court ruling that ordered Horeb Services Uganda Limited, a recruitment agency, and its Managing Director, Ezra Mugisha, to pay Shs 250 million in damages for their role in her death.
This ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Namutamba's daughter, Desire Namale, who accused Horeb Services of neglecting their responsibilities after her mother left Uganda for domestic work in August 2018.
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Speaking to the Nile Post, Namale welcomed the ruling and emphasised the family's desire for her mother’s body to be repatriated.
"My younger siblings still believe our mother is alive. It is very hard to explain the situation to them. We want her body to be repatriated so they can see her tomb and accept that she has passed away," she said.
Namale described the ruling as a testament to the resilience of survivors and the power of justice.
Titus Asiimwe, counsel for Namale, noted that this ruling should serve as a warning to other recruitment agencies about the serious responsibilities they hold.
"This ruling sends a powerful message: human life is invaluable, and companies must take responsibility for the migrant workers they export," said Asiimwe.
He emphasized that the judgment underscores the accountability of labor recruitment agencies and sets a precedent for upholding migrant workers' rights, particularly regarding their safety and the humane treatment of their families in cases of death abroad.
Communication between Namutamba and her family ceased in early 2019. Despite Namale's repeated inquiries to Horeb Services, the family remained uninformed about her fate for nearly two years, eventually learning of her death through unofficial channels in September 2022.
Justice Boniface Wamala ruled that Horeb Services violated Namutamba's right to life by failing to ensure her safety and keeping her family informed.
The court condemned the agency's handling of her repatriation and its failure to adhere to proper communication protocols.
"The respondents infringed on the applicants' right to information about Namutamba's fate," the judge stated, adding that the company’s actions violated her "rights to dignity and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment."
The court ordered Horeb Services to pay Shs 200 million in general damages and Shs 50 million in exemplary damages. Namale revealed that the agency initially promised assistance and compensation but failed to fulfill these commitments, prompting her family to pursue legal action.
Justice Wamala dismissed Horeb Services' argument that responsibility for Namutamba's death lay with the Saudi recruitment agency, ruling that Horeb Services bore primary responsibility for her safety and welfare, as stipulated by Ugandan law.
"The late Namutamba Milly was legally externalized, but the respondents never fulfilled their obligations," the court stated.
The court also highlighted that Namutamba was buried without the consent of her family or the Ugandan Embassy, which violated proper procedures.
Horeb Services' failure to use the Saudi tracking system, MUSANED, hindered Ugandan authorities' ability to monitor Namutamba's status, contributing to the delay in learning of her death.