KAMPALA, UGANDA — President Yoweri Museveni has issued an executive order instructing the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure that Ugandan citizens are no longer denied passports.
In an executive order dated January 23, President Museveni expressed concern over persistent complaints about the treatment of individuals applying for passports.
He emphasized the need to address the grievances reported against the authorities responsible for the issuance process.
This move aims to safeguard the rights of Ugandans and ensure fair access to essential travel documents.
“This mainly relates to how the question of whether or not an applicant is a citizen of Uganda is approached when he or she has applied for a passport.”
President Yoweri Museveni has emphasized that issues surrounding passport denial in Uganda stem not from gaps in the law but from its misapplication, particularly regarding proof of citizenship for applicants.
In a newly issued directive, the President ordered the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) to refrain from confiscating or canceling National Identity Cards issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) without adhering to due legal processes.
The directive appears to address long-standing allegations of discrimination, especially against the Banyarwanda community, who claim to face unfair treatment despite being recognized as citizens under Uganda’s 1995 Constitution.
Social commentator Frank Gashumba has been vocal about these grievances, citing cases where members of the Banyarwanda community were denied passports or had their documents confiscated.
Gashumba has also pointed out that applicants identifying as Banyarwanda are often subjected to rigorous questioning and treated as foreigners from Rwanda unless they can provide extensive documentation, including ancestral records dating back to 1926.
In 2021, some members of the Banyarwanda community rebranded themselves as “Abavandimwe” to counter the stigma associated with being perceived as Rwandan nationals. They argue that this step was necessary to combat systemic discrimination, which has included demands for documents no other tribes are required to provide.
President Museveni has now directed that the process for acquiring passports or identification documents be standardized, with equal requirements for all Ugandans, regardless of ethnicity or tribe. He specified that applicants whose citizenship is supported by letters from local authorities, and corroborated by elders if needed, should promptly receive their identification documents.
Gashumba has previously criticized the immigration authorities for advising Banyarwanda applicants, even those born in Uganda, to apply for citizenship through naturalization. Museveni’s directive aims to eliminate such unnecessary hurdles, ensuring all citizens have fair and equitable access to their rights.
“The local authorities, in this case, are the chairperson local council 1, the chairperson local council III, the Gombolola Internal Security Officer and the Resident District Commissioner,” reads part of the executive order.
In a previous interview, Simon Peter Mundeyi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, defended the rigorous vetting process applied to Banyarwanda applicants. Mundeyi claimed that some Rwandan nationals exploit their ethnic ties to fraudulently obtain Ugandan documents, which he argued justifies the stringent checks to identify genuine citizens.
However, in his recent executive order, President Yoweri Museveni took a firm stance against this approach. He emphasized that the task of determining citizenship by birth falls outside the scope of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC). The directive made it clear that immigration officials must operate strictly within their mandate and cease practices that go beyond their authority.
Museveni’s directive seeks to streamline the process for issuing passports and identity documents, ensuring that all Ugandan citizens are treated fairly and that procedures are consistent with the law. This order comes amidst rising concerns that certain groups, particularly the Banyarwanda community, have been subjected to unfair and overly invasive scrutiny in the application process.
“It is not the mandate of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control to investigate citizenship by birth and should there be a question about the veracity of the information provided by an applicant for a passport, who has indicated that they are a citizen by birth, DCIC should refer the matter to NIRA by the process prescribed under the Registration of Persons Act,” reads part of the executive order.
However, Museveni’s order has been rejected by some in the Banyarwanda community. Fred Mukasa Mbidde, the Deputy President of the Democratic Party and former member of the East African Legislative Assembly said the order presents Kinyarwanda speakers as non-citizens.
“The order presents Kinyarwanda speakers except those from Mpororo, Kisoro, and Ntungamo as non-Ugandans who should apply for naturalization as non-citizens. It risks making over 6 million persons born in Uganda, stateless, and violates international and subregional human rights instruments,” Mbidde wrote on his X page. He added that they will be challenging their treatment in the East African Court of Justice.
“We call for a fresh and urgent dialogue with the President for a fair solution,” Mbidde added.
The question of Banyarwanda citizenship has remained a contentious issue throughout Uganda’s post-colonial history. The debate intensified in 1986 when Banyarwanda refugees in Uganda played a significant role in helping the National Resistance Movement/Army (NRM/A) rise to power.
In an effort to address the issue, the 1995 Constitution of Uganda formally recognized the Banyarwanda as one of the country’s indigenous tribes. Despite this constitutional acknowledgment, doubts about their citizenship have persisted, fueled by historical complexities and ongoing scrutiny of their legal status.
The matter continues to evoke strong opinions, particularly regarding access to essential documents such as passports and national identity cards, underscoring the need for equitable policies to resolve these long-standing grievances.
