MOGADISHU, SOMALIA — Jacinta Kaahwa, a Ugandan national, is waging a determined legal battle against UK-based security firm SafeLane Global and its parent company, IGNE Group Ltd., alleging wrongful dismissal and abandonment in Somalia after six years of service. Her case, now before the British court system, accuses the company of “modern-day slavery” and seeks over $15 million in damages.
Kaahwa, who worked as a finance and administration officer in Mogadishu, was recruited in September 2016 through ClearTech, a firm she claims acted on behalf of SafeLane Global. Despite SafeLane’s subsequent denial of a direct employment relationship, Kaahwa maintains that all aspects of her recruitment, contract, and work were managed by SafeLane.
Her ordeal escalated following a March 2022 Al-Shabaab terrorist attack at her workplace, which left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kaahwa alleges that SafeLane Global failed to honor her contract’s provisions for mental trauma compensation and provided no post-incident support, instead disowning her and directing her to ClearTech.
Faced with escalating threats and harassment, including from Somali politicians, she sought refuge at the Ugandan embassy in Mogadishu.
Kaahwa pursued legal recourse in Somalia, securing favorable rulings from the Dispute Resolution Committee, the Banadir Regional Court, and the Supreme Court of Somalia, all ordering SafeLane Global to reinstate her and provide compensation.
However, these orders remain unenforced, with her lawyer alleging illegal lobbying by SafeLane against the rulings.
Despite support from international bodies, including the UN, her case remained unresolved, prompting her to return to Uganda and escalate the matter to the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament. She has also filed a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Advocate Junaid Egale, representing Kaahwa through Unite Law Chambers, has initiated legal proceedings in London against IGNE Group Ltd., the parent company of SafeLane Global and ClearTechME DMCC.
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“We are convinced this is a clear case of modern-day slavery,” Egale told this publication. “Kaahwa was hired in Uganda by SafeLane Global Uganda, deployed to Somalia by SafeLane Global Somalia, and now abandoned without compensation or recognition.”
Kaahwa is seeking $15 million in damages for unlawful dismissal, unpaid salaries, breach of insurance rights, mental trauma, legal fees, and the cost of being stranded.
She also alleges racial and gender discrimination, claiming she was replaced by a white South African, Rodney Venter, who received three times her salary. Her request for a salary increase was denied, citing cost-cutting.
Her case highlights the vulnerabilities of African professionals working for foreign contractors in conflict zones and raises critical questions about labor rights and corporate accountability. As the legal battle shifts to the UK, Kaahwa hopes to secure long-awaited justice.
