Forced Labour

Prohibition on Forced and Compulsory Labour

Under the Constitution, no one shall be held in slavery or forced to perform labour against their will. However, forced labour does not include work required by a court sentence, during lawful detention for maintenance or hygiene, duties of disciplined forces, service during war or emergencies, or civic obligations.

The Employment Act 2006 prohibits all forms of forced or bonded labour. In accordance with the Penal Code, any person who unlawfully compels any person to labour against the will of that person commits a misdemeanour.

Moreover, a person who recruits, hires, maintains, confines, transports, transfers, harbours or receives a person or facilitates the aforementioned acts through force or other forms of coercion to engage that person in prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery, involuntary servitude, death bondage, forced or arranged marriage commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for fifteen years.

Forced labour is defined as all work or service, which is exacted from any person under the threat of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered him/herself voluntarily. A person who forces another person to work against their will, without legal justification, is committing a misdemeanour.

Any person upon conviction regarding forced labour will face a fine of forty-eight currency points (960,000 UGX) or imprisonment for a term of two years, or both, and a fine of four currency points for each day or part of the day on which the breach continues.

Source: §25 of the Constitution of Uganda 1995, last amended in 2018); §4 of the Employment Act, 2006, last amended in 2023; §§2-3 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2009; §235 of the Penal Code of 1950, last amended in 2024

Freedom to Change Jobs and Right to Quit

Workers have the right to change/quit job after serving due notice to their employer and can freely pursue economic activities without undue restriction.

For more information, please refer to the section on employment security.

Inhumane Working Conditions

Working time may be extended beyond the normal working hours of forty-eight hours per week and eight hours a day. However, total hours of work inclusive of overtime must not exceed ten hours a day and fifty-six hours a week.

The Minister, in consultation with the Labour Advisory Board (LAB), may set limits on weekly working hours, including overtime, for any industry or occupation. Temporary exceptions can be allowed in extraordinary situations if required for the public interest.

For more information on this, please refer to the section on compensation.

Sources: §52 of the Employment Act 2006, last amended in 2023