Museveni has listened to our cries, says Gashumba on new executive order

The Council for Abavandimwe, representing the Banyarwanda community in Uganda, has commended President Museveni for issuing an executive order aimed at safeguarding the citizenship rights of Ugandans, with a particular focus on the Banyarwanda community, who have long faced challenges in accessing identification documents.

The directive, issued on January 23, 2025, addresses administrative irregularities and discriminatory practices in the issuance of passports and national identity cards.

It follows numerous complaints from Banyarwanda born and raised in Uganda, who have frequently reported human rights violations by authorities, including being denied identification documents such as passports and national identity cards despite being Ugandan citizens.

In the executive order, President Museveni clarified that the issue of citizenship was resolved under Chapter 3 of the 1995 Constitution, which provides for three types of citizenship: citizenship by birth, citizenship by registration, and citizenship by naturalization.

Speaking to the media in Kampala on Friday, Frank Gashumba, Chairperson of the Council for Abavandimwe, expressed his delight.

“We are extremely happy that finally the President of Uganda has listened to our cries by issuing an executive order. He has answered all the questions we’ve been having,” he stated.

Gashumba emphasized that the Banyarwanda community does not seek special privileges but demands equitable treatment when applying for identification documents such as national IDs and passports.

“We want fairness. When I’m applying for a national ID or a passport, I should be treated like any other ethnic Ugandan. The President has addressed this very clearly,” he said.

He highlighted the challenges faced by the Banyarwanda community, accusing immigration authorities of selectively applying the Constitution.

“For example, they have been telling us to prove with documents that our parents resided in Uganda before 1926. No one can produce such documents,” Gashumba said, calling the requirement unrealistic and discriminatory.

Gashumba praised the President’s directive to involve local authorities, from LC1 to LC5, in verifying and certifying the citizenship of applicants.

“Let the local authorities take over. Once they confirm that someone is Ugandan, issue the passport or national ID. That’s what we’ve been demanding,” he said.

As a show of gratitude, Gashumba urged the Banyarwanda community to support President Museveni in the 2026 elections.

“The best gift you can give the President is your vote in 2026. He has listened to us, and we must stand with him,” he said.

The Council for Abavandimwe’s lawyer, Haruna Ssewaya, also welcomed Museveni’s executive order, saying it will greatly help address systemic injustices faced by the Banyarwanda community in Uganda concerning their citizenship rights.

Ssewaya highlighted that the order seeks to resolve issues surrounding the issuance, renewal, and cancellation of passports and national IDs for Ugandan citizens belonging to the Banyarwanda indigenous community. He described it as a much-needed remedy for discriminatory practices by immigration and National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) officials.

“The President has clearly directed on who has the powers to determine citizenship. Immigration and NIRA officials do not have the mandate, while seated in their offices, to arbitrarily declare that an applicant for a national ID or passport is not Ugandan,” Ssewaya said during a media briefing.

The lawyer criticized the current practice of arbitrarily deactivating national IDs or confiscating passports without due process. “If you want to cancel, deactivate, or confiscate someone’s national ID or withdraw their passport, ensure that they are heard. This arbitrary manner in which officials have been behaving must stop,” he emphasized.

Ssewaya also lauded the President’s directive for equal treatment of all Ugandans during the application process for identification documents. He noted that Banyarwanda applicants have long been subjected to additional and unfair requirements, unlike other tribes.

“The requirements for acquiring a national ID or passport must be the same, whether you are a Muganda, Munyarwanda, or Acholi. The President has called for equality,” Ssewaya said.

He cited instances where Banyarwanda applicants were asked to provide extra documentation to prove their citizenship, which was not demanded from other ethnic groups.

He further explained that the executive order empowers local authorities, including LC1 to LC5 chairpersons, Gombolola Internal Security Officers (GISOs), and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), to certify and confirm citizenship.

“If someone has letters from their local leaders affirming their citizenship, they should be promptly issued a passport or national ID without additional requirements,” Ssewaya stressed.

President Museveni emphasized that the issue lies not in gaps in the law but in how existing laws are administered.

He pointed to Chapter 3 of the 1995 Constitution, which categorizes citizenship by birth, registration, and naturalization, asserting that these categories are fully protected under the law. He directed officials to presume citizenship for applicants unless there is “cogent and reliable evidence that the information submitted by an applicant is not true.”

In his executive order, the President also addressed allegations of ethnic bias.

To streamline the process, Museveni clarified that the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) has no mandate to investigate citizenship by birth, and disputes should instead be referred to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). “It is not the mandate of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control to investigate citizenship by birth,” he emphasised.

The President further called for collaboration between local leaders and immigration authorities to ensure that applicants supported by letters from Local Council officials and elders are promptly issued identification documents. He also warned against the arbitrary confiscation of national identity cards and passports, stressing that such actions must follow due process.