Grapevine

Family of maid who died in Saudi Arabia awarded Shs250m

The family of a Ugandan woman who died and was secretly buried in Saudi Arabia where she worked as a domestic maid was yesterday awarded Shs250 million in damages.

High Court Justice Boniface Wamala directed Horeb Services Uganda, a labour export firm, and its managing director, Ezra Mugisha, to compensate the family of the late Milly Namutamba, and meet the legal costs of the trial.

Justice Wamala said the company’s failure to inform the family about Namutamba’s passing and internment could not go unpunished. “Having found that the respondents committed a violation of the late Milly Namutamba’s right to life, it follows that the applicants are entitled to damages owing to the wrongful acts of the respondents.”

“The applicants showed in evidence that they suffered from mental anguish, inconveniences, grief, and pain while trying to find out the whereabouts of the deceased. They further suffered mental and psychological pain upon learning that their family member had fallen sick, died, and was buried in Saudi Arabia, without the consent or consultation with the family members in Uganda.

He awarded the family Shs200m and Shs50m in general and exemplary damages, respectively. The late Namutamba’s daughter, Desire Namale, and brother, Charles Muyingo Mutasa, had asked for Shs700m in damages.