Death Penalty Looms for 9 Ugandans in Saudi Arabia over Drug Trafficking Charges.

Nine Ugandans are most likely to be executed in Saudi Arabia after being convicted on serious drug trafficking charges, with the Ugandan government struggling to secure their release. Despite diplomatic efforts, the harsh realities of Saudi Arabia’s strict anti-drug laws have left the fate of these individuals uncertain.

Public pressure on the Ugandan government to seek clemency for its citizens, including women whose children were born in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and those who are currently detained for various offenses in accordance with Saudi Arabian law, was a central theme of the discussions surrounding the large number of Ugandans who have been languishing in prison cells throughout Saudi Arabia.

One notable individual is 26-year-old Juma Kasumba, a father of two who is awaiting execution. His story has been widely shared on social media with calls for his release.
According to reports, Kasumba was convicted of smuggling illegal substances into Saudi Arabia. According to reports, he was seduced by a woman only known as Shamim who assured him she would take him on a journey to Mecca.

According to One social media user, @SuunaKing_James who wrote on X (previously Twitter), " Kasumba Being a first-time traveler, Shamim told him to swallow some tablets that it was medicine to withstand conditions in Saudi Arabia; little did he know that he was swallowing illegal substances in pills."In October of last year, Kasumba was detained upon his arrival at the Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia. 

A government team headed by Minister of State for Labor Employment and Industrial Relations Esther Anyakun traveled to Riyadh from October 14–17, 2024, to record the working conditions and keep an eye on the wellbeing of Ugandans employed and residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Following discussions with the delegation, Saudi authorities decided to offer pardons to Ugandan migrant laborers who had been left behind in jails and deportation camps throughout the Middle Eastern nation.

The number of Ugandans to be pardoned will be known 60 days from now after Saudi Arabia has carried out verification of the population of Ugandans migrants living in their country.
The state minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Ms Esther Anyakun, said: “I have the pleasure to announce that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has agreed to pardon Ugandan migrant workers who have been stranded in deportation centres and prisons across the country.” 
Uganda reports that 150,000 of its citizens, mostly maids, are residing in Saudi Arabia. An agreement exists between Saudi Arabia and Uganda to let labor migrants to work in Riyadh. 
It is challenging to determine the precise number, though, because many are said to have been unlawfully smuggled to Saudi Arabia. 

Certain incidences have resulted in the deaths of migrants, while others have left them unable to return to Uganda after being fired from their occupations without compensation. 
A committee was formed last week by the ministries of foreign affairs, labor, and security agencies in Uganda to make sure that no Ugandans are being trafficked into Saudi Arabia or the Middle East.Senior presidential envoy on diaspora affairs Abbey Walusimbi interacts with State Minister for Labour, 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/6LEkMtpVdo">pic.twitter.com/6LEkMtpVdo</a></p>&mdash; Amb. Abbey Walusimbi (@abbey_walusimbi) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbey_walusimbi/status/1848288354699202607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Saudi Press Agency said that in the first nine months of 2024 alone, the number of executions by the government was at least 200, surpassing the total for any year in the previous thirty years. This defies their own promises to reduce the use of the death penalty and demonstrates the Saudi authorities' blatant contempt for human rights. 

This year's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) revealed the authorities' lack of commitment to significant reform, as they only accepted one of the 22 recommendations made regarding the use of the death penalty. 

As of October 9th, 2024, there were 214 people publicly listed as having been executed; 59 of them were executed for drug-related offenses, 46 of whom were foreign nationals.