Lira, Uganda | Security agencies in Lira City, led by Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Lawrence Egole in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force, have rescued 73 youths who were allegedly being held under deceptive job recruitment arrangements by a group operating under the name Canan Dream Visionaries.
The rescued victims, 44 males and 29 females, were recovered from two locations within the city following intelligence-led operations conducted on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The sites included offices at Halco Holiday Hotel opposite Lira Primary School and Clement Grand Mall Room B04.
According to the RCC, the victims were drawn from several regions across the country, including Acholi, Teso, Karamoja, West Nile, Jinja, Kiryandongo, and several districts in Lango. Investigations indicate that some individuals paid between UGX 1.5 million and UGX 2 million in pursuit of promised employment opportunities.
Authorities further suspect that some of the victims may have been trafficked beyond Uganda’s borders, particularly to the Democratic Republic of Congo, under the guise of formal employment. Several families have reportedly lost contact with their relatives after they left to pursue the alleged job opportunities.
One of the affected parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said her daughter was contacted and informed of a supposed training opportunity, after which she visited the company’s offices. She alleged that the girl was first required to obtain an LC1 introduction letter and pay UGX 20,000 before proceeding.
The parent further claimed that her daughter was instructed to collect at least 40 names and contacts of friends as part of a “qualification” process but managed only five, after which she was told she did not qualify.
She added that the girl had initially been promised UGX 200,000 after two weeks of training but was before asked to first pay UGX 2 million, with assurances of securing an NGO job paying over UGX 500,000 monthly. The parent described the process as deceptive and exploitative, warning other parents to remain vigilant against similar schemes.
The victims were arrested and taken to Lira City Central Police Station as investigations continue into the operations of the network and its alleged recruiters.
Egole condemned the exploitation of job-seeking youths, warning against the increasing trend of individuals paying large sums of money to unverified recruiters. He urged young people to instead take advantage of government empowerment initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
He also raised concern over alleged regulatory gaps within licensing authorities in Lira City West Division, questioning how questionable entities continue to operate under varying names. He directed investigations into the registration and licensing processes of the suspected company and called for stricter scrutiny before approval of business operations.
Egole emphasized the need for coordinated action among security and administrative agencies to dismantle what he described as an emerging criminal network targeting vulnerable youths. He warned that such schemes could pose broader security risks if not urgently addressed.
Investigators are now focusing on identifying the alleged masterminds, believed to be operating from Kampala, and tracking financial flows linked to the recruitment scheme.
In a related development, similar operations in Mbarara City recently led to the arrest of over 240 individuals linked to suspected fraudulent recruitment activities under the Global Alliance In Motion (AIM Global) network, in a joint security crackdown targeting Ponzi-like schemes disguised as employment agencies.
