MPs advise stateless Banyarwanda to pursue citizenship

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Banyarwanda who cannot trace their ancestral lineage but have lived in Uganda since birth have been urged to pursue alternative pathways to Ugandan citizenship as stipulated under the country's legal framework.

“All aggrieved Banyarwanda should pursue the dispute resolution process outlined in Section 83 of the Registration of Persons Act, Cap 332 and Section 10 of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act, Cap 313, if they are unsatisfied with the decision made by the NIRA and DCIC respectively. NIRA has set up an internal citizenship verification committee to handle such cases,” MPs have advised.

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is a government-owned organisation charged with registering births and deaths in the country and developing a National Identification Register for citizens and legally resident non-citizens. NIRA is also mandated to issue national identification numbers and cards for every citizen and lawfully admitted alien.

This recommendation is part of a report by the Parliamentary Defence and Internal Affairs Committee on a petition by the Council for Abavandimwe, which highlighted alleged government infringements on their rights.

The report, tabled by Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushozi County, NRM) on Thursday, November 28, 2024, marks close to six months of advocacy for equitable treatment. In March this year, Frank Gashumba, the chairperson of the 'Council for Abavandimwe,' which represents approximately 260,000 self-identifying members in Uganda and abroad, petitioned Speaker Anita Annet Among to this end.

Speaker of Paliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, during plenary on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Courtesy X/@Parliament_Ug)

In turn, Among directed the defence and internal affairs committee to shine a torch into their grievances. At the time, Gashumba and company wanted a Ugandan of Rwandan descent appointed as an immigration commissioner to help deal with the allegedly rampant discrimination they endure.

These complained that they were being interviewed by a Mufumbira tribe immigration officer, whose comprehension of Kinyarwanda language was below par, owing to the heavy influence of Rukiga on his mother tongue. Hence complicating the interrogation process.

Instead, the committee advised the responsible authorities to recruit competent officers.

Wide-ranging corruption

Additionally, the community also complained about 'industrial-scale corruption'. Arguing that during the process of applying for passports, the immigration officials at Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) had made it a norm to extort bribes ranging from sh10m to sh15m promising to grant them passports.

The Banyarwanda contended that this fraud has left many of their kin without national documents and unable to commute internationally and engage in business.

However, the committee noted that this allegation could not be substantiated, as the ministry, during its interactions, explained that opportunities for soliciting bribes had diminished with the advent of digitisation.

“Applicants must visit the DCIC passport portal and answer security questions. After this, one can print the payment advice form and use it to pay the fee at their chosen bank. Once paid, one can schedule an appointment through the DCIC homepage link, print the appointment form, and visit the passport centre with the form and required documents. Ordinary passport fees are sh250,000, with an additional sh150,000 for express processing, payable at the bank separately,” Kajwengye cited.

Aisha Kabanda strongly protested this recommendation which to her appeared insensitive to Banyarwanda.

“Rt. Hon. Speaker, I am a granddaughter of Banyarwanda. Those are my mothers,” Kabanda disclosed.

Adding that “It does not mean that people are not finding a lot of difficulties. We would like to urge the ministry, NIRA that they care about entrance of indigenous Banyarwanda that have been in the country not by official documents such as the national ID and passport.”

Govt responds

However, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja reaffirmed the Government's commitment to addressing this challenge and related issues.

Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to addressing this challenge and related issues. (Courtesy X/@Parliament_Ug)

“The President (Yoweri Museveni) met the group, he is talking about, Bavandimwe and others on 25th October this year. He briefed Cabinet on 28th October and Rt. Hon. Speaker, a number of things are being done. I want to promise members that the Government is doing a lot to solve this,” Nabbanja affirmed.

The discussion later shifted to semantics, with Abed Bwanika (Kimaanya-Kabonera, NUP), contesting the categorisation of Ugandans of Rwandan origin.

"In the presentation, the chairperson referred to citizens of Rwanda as Banyarwanda. Citizens of Rwanda are Rwandans, and we should correct that in the Hansard," he urged.

Ruling

As a result of high level interventions, Speaker Anita Annet Among declined to adopt the report, citing concerns about potentially offending the hierarchy.

“That there is an executive action being taken. So, we will not adopt the report because the other one supercedes the report of today. So we thank you, we will wait for the response of the minister on actions that have been taken,” she ruled.