From skyscrapers to shattered dreams: How UAE journey ended in heartbreak at home

A Ugandan migrant worker who spent more than a decade working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reportedly battling severe emotional and health challenges after returning home to discover that his family and investments were gone.

The man, identified as Zirayo Okole, reportedly left Uganda several years ago in search of better economic opportunities, leaving behind his wife and child in Kampala. According to accounts shared by close associates, he began work in the UAE as a construction labourer, carrying heavy building materials across multiple floors of high-rise projects.

After about three years of strenuous work, he was reportedly reassigned as a security guard following the completion of the building. He later rose to become a bouncer with a private security firm, a role said to have brought him into contact with influential individuals.

Sources claim that his discipline and physical fitness caught the attention of a member of Dubai’s royal family, who allegedly employed him as a personal gym trainer. He reportedly held the position for about six years, earning a substantial income.

During this period, Okole was said to have sent home about 20,000 dirhams monthly—estimated at roughly KSh 700,000—to support his family and invest in property. Over six years, the remittances reportedly ran into tens of millions of shillings, enabling significant investments back home.

However, on returning to Uganda last year, he allegedly discovered that the properties had been sold and that his wife had remarried. Those close to him say the revelation had a devastating impact on his mental and emotional wellbeing.

Friends and community members report that the shock pushed him into substance abuse and deep depression, and that he is now struggling with his health.

The case has sparked renewed conversations on the social and emotional risks faced by migrant workers, particularly the need for financial transparency, family support systems, and mental health care for returnees.

Efforts to independently verify all aspects of the claims were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.