BBC Investigation Uncovers Charles Mwesigwa’s Network Forcing Vulnerable Women Into Degrading Acts as Two Deaths Raise Serious Questions
A shocking BBC World Service investigation has unmasked a former London bus driver as the alleged boss of a sex trafficking ring operating in Dubai’s most glamorous neighbourhoods, exploiting vulnerable Ugandan women who believed they were travelling to the UAE for legitimate employment.
Charles Mwesigwa, who confirmed to undercover reporters that he previously drove buses in the capital, was caught on camera offering to provide women for sex parties starting at $1,000 (£740) per person, boasting that his “open-minded” girls could do “pretty much everything” clients wanted.
The investigation reveals a far darker reality behind the viral #Dubaiportapotty hashtag, which has been viewed more than 450 million times on TikTok, exposing how young women are trapped in debt bondage and forced to perform extreme sexual acts, including those involving bodily functions.
Two women linked to Mwesigwa’s network have died after falling from Dubai high-rise apartments. Though their deaths were ruled as suicides, families and friends are demanding further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedies.
Trapped in Debt Bondage
Young Ugandan women who spoke to the BBC revealed they had expected to work in supermarkets or hotels when they travelled to Dubai. Instead, they found themselves sharing overcrowded flats with dozens of other women and forced into sex work to pay off manufactured debts.
“Mia”, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told the BBC that Mwesigwa informed her upon arrival that she owed him £2,000 ($2,711) for air tickets, visa, accommodation and food. Within two weeks, that debt had doubled to £4,000.
“That means you have to work hard, hard, hard, pleading for men to come and sleep with you,” Mia explained quietly to BBC investigators.
The women described being subjected to extreme degradation. “There’s this one client, he poops on girls. He poops and he tells them to eat the s**t,” Mia revealed, describing encounters with clients who were mostly white Europeans with extreme fetishes.
Another woman, “Lexi”, who escaped a different but similar network, confirmed that “porta potty” requests were frequent. She described being offered 15,000 Arab Emirates Dirham ($4,084, £3,013) for gang rape and additional money for being recorded eating faeces.
Racial Targeting Suspected
Disturbingly, Lexi believes there is a racial element to these extreme fetishes. “They want somebody who is going to cry and scream and run. And that somebody in their eyes should be a black person,” she told the BBC.
When Lexi attempted to seek help from Dubai police, she claims they dismissed her, saying: “You Africans cause problems for each other. We don’t want to get involved.” The Dubai police did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment on this allegation.
The investigation found that Mwesigwa’s operation housed approximately 50 women in cramped conditions. “Keira”, who lived with victim Monic Karungi in 2022, described the accommodation as being “like a market” with dozens of women crammed together.
Undercover Operation
The BBC team traced Mwesigwa to Jumeirah Village Circle, a middle-class Dubai neighbourhood, using open-source intelligence and information from former network members. An undercover reporter posing as an event organiser captured Mwesigwa on camera discussing his business.
“We’ve got like 25 girls,” Mwesigwa stated confidently. “Many are open-minded… they can do pretty much everything.” When asked specifically about “Dubai porta potty” services, he replied: “I’ve told you, they are open-minded. When I say open-minded… I will send you the craziest I have.”
During the conversation, Mwesigwa revealed his passion for the business, stating: “I could win the lottery, a million pounds, but I would still do it… it’s become part of me.”
Troy, who claims to have worked as operations manager for Mwesigwa’s network, provided further details about the operation. He alleged that Mwesigwa pays off security at various nightclubs to allow his women entry to find clients, and uses other people’s names on rental agreements and car hires to avoid leaving a paper trail.
Two Mysterious Deaths
The investigation uncovered two deaths linked to Mwesigwa’s network, raising serious questions about the treatment of women in his operation.
Monic Karungi, from western Uganda, fell from a Dubai high-rise apartment on 1 May 2022, just four months after arriving in the emirate. Her sister Rita said Monic believed she was going to work in a supermarket.
According to witnesses, Monic had been arguing regularly with Mwesigwa before her death and had found legitimate employment, believing she could finally escape the network. She moved to a different apartment approximately 10 minutes’ walk away, from which she fell days later.
Monic’s relative Michael, who was in the UAE at the time, claims he confronted Mwesigwa after the death. He alleges Mwesigwa told him: “I have spent 25 years in Dubai. Dubai is mine… There is no way you are going to report me… Embassy is me, I’m the embassy.”
Chillingly, Michael claims Mwesigwa added: “She’s not the first to die. And she won’t be the last.” Both Mia and Keira independently confirmed witnessing this conversation.
The second death involves Kayla Birungi, another Ugandan woman who died in 2021 after falling from a Dubai high-rise. The BBC found evidence suggesting the apartment was managed by Mwesigwa, with the landlord’s phone number matching one of his contacts.
Whilst Kayla’s family were told her death was linked to alcohol and drugs, a toxicology report seen by the BBC showed no substances were present in her system at the time of death.
Wider Trafficking Pipeline
The investigation highlights a broader pipeline connecting Uganda to the Gulf states. As Uganda grapples with rising youth unemployment, working abroad has become a huge industry contributing $1.2bn (£885m) in tax revenue annually.
However, opportunities carry significant risks. Research suggests 89 per cent of Ugandans working in the Middle East experience conditions indicative of forced labour, including non-payment of wages, physical abuse, passport confiscation and excessive working hours.
Mariam Mwiza, a Ugandan activist against exploitation, told the BBC she has helped rescue more than 700 people from around the Gulf. “We get cases of people who have been promised to work in a supermarket. Then that person ends up sold as a prostitute,” she explained.
The US State Department’s trafficking reports consistently highlight Uganda as a source country for trafficking victims, particularly to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE and Oman.
Official Denials
When confronted with the allegations, Mwesigwa denied all wrongdoing. “These are all false allegations,” he stated. “I told you I am just a party person who invites big spenders on my tables, hence making many girls flock to my table. That makes me know many girls and that’s it.”
Regarding the deaths, Mwesigwa claimed he hadn’t seen Monic for “four to five weeks” before she died and insisted both incidents were investigated by Dubai police. He suggested the BBC contact authorities for information.
The BBC contacted Al Barsha Police Station requesting case files for both deaths but received no response. The broadcaster was unable to access toxicology reports for Monic Karungi or speak to the landlord of the apartment where she died.
Buried in ‘The Unknown’
The investigation found Monic was likely buried in a section of Dubai’s Al Qusais Cemetery known as “The Unknown”, featuring rows of unmarked graves typically belonging to migrants whose families couldn’t repatriate their bodies. Her remains were never returned to Uganda.
Michael, Monic’s relative, expressed frustration at the lack of action: “We are all looking at Monica’s death. But who is there for the girls still alive? They’re still there. Still suffering.”
Growing Concerns
The revelations come as the #Dubaiportapotty phenomenon continues to generate viral content on social media, with many treating it as salacious entertainment rather than recognising the serious exploitation involved.
The hashtag originated from rumours about influencers being paid vast sums for degrading acts, but the BBC investigation reveals a much darker reality of trafficking, debt bondage and potential murder.
Evidence presented in the BBC report shows Mwesigwa put down his occupation as a London bus driver on an official document in east London in 2006, confirming his UK connections before his move to Dubai.
The investigation raises serious questions about Dubai’s response to sex trafficking and the protection of vulnerable women. With prostitution illegal in the UAE, victims have little legal recourse and may face prosecution themselves if they report exploitation.
As families mourn their lost daughters and activists work to rescue trapped women, the glamorous facade of Dubai’s nightlife industry continues to hide a brutal trade in human misery. The BBC’s investigation suggests this is not merely about consensual adult activities but systematic exploitation of vulnerable women from one of the world’s poorest regions.
The full scale of the operation remains unknown, but with Mwesigwa claiming to have operated for 25 years and boasting about his connections, the number of victims could be substantial. As more women come forward with their stories, pressure is mounting on authorities in both Dubai and Uganda to take meaningful action against those profiting from this modern form of slavery.
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