Friday October 23, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia and Uganda signed a labor agreement Thursday requiring written employment contracts, direct salary payments into workers’ bank accounts and employer-funded insurance and travel, in a move aimed at protecting more than 20,000 Ugandan nationals working in Somalia.
The agreement was signed in Mogadishu by Somalia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Prof. Salim Alio Ibro, and Uganda’s Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen. Henry Tumukunde, during a bilateral meeting reviewing cooperation between the two countries.
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Ugandan authorities estimate that more than 20,000 of their citizens work in Somalia, primarily in education, healthcare, logistics and private security.
Under the agreement, Ugandan nationals recruited to work in Somalia must be at least 21 years old and receive written employment contracts before leaving Uganda. The contracts must be registered with Somalia’s labor ministry upon arrival, and any changes to their terms must be in the workers’ favor.
Employers will be required to cover visa fees, travel expenses and insurance, including coverage for death and disability. They must also provide workers with a return ticket to Uganda every two years and deposit salaries directly into bank accounts registered in employees’ names.
The agreement prohibits forced labor and the confiscation of workers’ passports. It also guarantees employees the right to communicate with their families and Uganda’s diplomatic representatives.
Workers will be allowed to change employers if the jobs they receive differ from those specified in their original contracts.
The agreement also provides for the repatriation of a worker’s remains to Uganda at the family’s request if the employee dies while working in Somalia.
Uganda, meanwhile, has committed to ensuring that workers recruited for employment abroad have no criminal records, undergo required medical examinations and are protected from excessive fees charged by recruitment agencies.
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the agreement establishes a framework for regulated employment, fair recruitment and the protection of workers’ rights.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Tumukunde emphasized that the close relationship between Somalia and Uganda must translate into practical commitments that benefit citizens of both countries.
He also called for an end to unlawful dismissals, unpaid wages and benefits, passport confiscation and restrictions preventing employees from communicating with their families or diplomatic representatives.
The agreement will take effect after both governments complete their internal ratification procedures. It will remain in force for three years and automatically renew unless otherwise terminated under its provisions.
The deal follows commitments made during the second session of the Somalia-Uganda Joint Permanent Commission, held in Kampala in October 2025, when the two governments agreed to expand cooperation in security, education, labor and migration.
During Thursday’s discussions, officials also agreed to finalize the establishment of a joint investment and trade council by Nov. 30, 2026, as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.