Humanist

“I feel angry. My child, Agadi Josephine, went to Saudi Arabia, came back and died. I tried to pray, but there was no change in her. She did not get back to normal and died. I ask those who took her, to please tell me what happened to my child. Government, please help me with the issue of my child. My child whom they took and returned as a dead body.”

Pleaded Mrs. Norah Esther Mukebezi Opiio, at her child’s grave, a day after she buried her. What is the more painful and baffling for Agadi’s loved ones is that two weeks prior to her return and death, while she was believed still abroad, her aunt Clare says:

“I spoke via WhatsApp with my child Agadi. From what I saw of her and heard from her, I thought she was well. I was shocked two weeks later to receive a phone call in which I was told my child is at the Police Station in Ntinda.”

• What exactly happened to Agadi?
• Who harmed her, was it her employer in Saudi Arabia or the company that exported her?
• What did they do to her?
• Why did they harm her?

Media reports containing the official statements from her employer in Saudi Arabia, named Mrs. Aisha Muhammad Isa, and those of her exporter, International Employment Linkages (U) Ltd, confirm that Agadi was not happy at her work and that she did not take the abuse lying down.

Agadi complained about her work conditions more than once and each time her exporter re-inserted her back into the toxic conditions. It intrigues that the more one studies Agadi’s employer’s and exporter’s explanations that are published in the media, the list of unanswered questions increases.

Case in point, it is reported in the media that:

“It is not immediately clear how Agadi traveled from Entebbe Airport to Ntinda Police Station … Ntinda Police Station confirmed receiving Agadi on January 30th from an unidentified boda boda person who took her there with her luggage … Police sources say she had a small bag that had money believed to be UGX 3.4 million but unfortunately the big bag was taken by the same boda person who took her to the station.”

• Why in the first place did Agadi travel to Ntinda Police Station, allegedly with millions of shillings and all her luggage?
• Why did she bypass all her relatives living in Entebbe, Kisubi, Kajjansi, and other locations between Entebbe and Ntinda?
• Why did she bypass all police stations between Entebbe Airport and Ntinda Police?
• Why did the Police rummage through her luggage to know that she had 3.4 million shillings as “police sources” allege?
• Why did the Police let the boda person ride away with her big bag?
• Why does the Police give detailed descriptions of the material possessions Agadi had with her but are vague on the person who took her to the Police and subsequently rode away with her luggage?
• Is it simply a coincidence that the physical location of her exporter’s offices is in Ntinda and she ended up in Ntinda Police?

Agadi Josephine’s parents – Simon Opiio and Norah Esther Mukebezi, among a thousand plus mourners, during their daughters funeral, at their home in Pallisa, where she was laid her final resting place.

Many unanswered questions for which Agadi’s loved ones want answers. Her aunt Claire narrates:

“We went to meet Agadi at the Police Station and found her when her head, her mental state, was not normal. We brought her home and her condition remained the same until she died.”

It is difficult to believe that a mentally ill person traveled all the way from Saudi Arabia to Ntinda Police Station on her own. Something does not add up.

How feasible is it that she was normal when she left Saudi Arabia and then got mentally ill at Ntinda Police?

In addition to being of mental ill-health, truth is Agadi was returned to her loved ones without any material possessions of her own. Nothing!

Sadly, they are not the only ones to suffer such a fate. Agadi’s loved ones have joined the increasing number of Uganda families who have lost their young daughters exported to Saudi Arabia and returned with mental disorders and or mysterious illness to which some have succumbed and died, shortly after their return.

“My cousin sister arrived to our village to the surprise of everyone, she came back with mental illness and no material possessions. We wondered how she travelled from Saudi Arabia up to Kumi in that state.”

Okello Lo Omoit on X @raldollo

“In 2021, my good friend went to Saudi Arabia as a maid. Just 8 months in the gulf, she complained to us at home of the unfair treatment of her bosses. A year after, we managed to bring her back lame and disoriented.”

Sammy Wills on X @SamuelSsem77201

“My cousin travelled and came back mad. Until now, two years since, she is still in Butabika Mental Hospital.”

Resty Namuli on X @Renamuli

“On my last flight to Entebbe, we had a young girl that almost died onboard … On the way back, I met a French couple and this lady cried since boarding. I asked her what made her cry endlessly. She narrated how terrible those people are, her coming onboard and finding still gals going to Saudi Arabia broke her heart.”

NzeEdwards on X @Vicmweya

“Agadi was the eldest child of my brother and all our eyes were on her with great hope for our future. We have instead lost her. It is very bad,” her aunt Claire’s emotionally reflected.

As for me, I pray that something positive comes of Agadi’s death. Justice for Agadi. And Justice for all our girls exported and ill-treated. And so, I ask you please help to amplify Agadi’s mother’s voice:

“Government, please help me with the issue of my child. My child whom they took and returned as a dead body.”

By Norah Owaraga, a blogger on a mission of civic activism rooted in humanism.

First published on 18th February 2024 and up-dated on 19th September 2025.