

24 January 2025, 4:21 pm
By Ronald Ssemagonja
“By virtue of the authority vested in the President by Article 99 (1) and (4) of the Constitution, this Executive Order is made on the 24th of January, 2025,” the President said.
The President has consistently received complaints regarding the manner in which individuals applying for passports in Uganda are treated by the concerned authorities, particularly the National Identification Regulatory Authority (NIRA). These complaints mainly relate to how the question of whether an applicant is a Ugandan citizen is addressed when applying for a passport.
This directive follows complaints from a group of Rwandese born and raised in Uganda. On several occasions, they cited human rights violations by authorities, claiming they were denied identification documents such as passports and national identity cards, despite being Ugandan citizens of the Banyarwanda tribe.
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.
“Clearly, the issue is not the law or any gaps in it but how the law is administered with regard to proof of citizenship by applicants for passports or other identity documents. Therefore, since the challenge is administrative in nature, I hereby direct as follows: Every Ugandan citizen has a right to a passport or other travel document and to enter, leave, and return to Uganda,” Museveni ordered.
The President further directed that upon receipt of an application for a passport, officials of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control must adhere to the provisions of Section 40 of the Citizenship and Immigration Control Act, Cap. 313. This section only requires a person to produce their National Identification Number (NIN) and comply with any other requirements prescribed by the board.
“All administrative processes through which a person might be required to prove citizenship, especially by birth, must uphold the dignity of all persons. No requirement not provided for or contemplated under the law should be applied. Immigration officials should be mindful that citizenship by birth is inherent and not granted by immigration officers, and there must be a presumption of citizenship unless an immigration officer has cogent and reliable evidence that the information submitted by an applicant is not true,” he stated.
The President also explained that the law does not currently grant automatic citizenship to children of citizens by birth and naturalization, emphasising that “a citizen produces a citizen.” He directed the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Attorney General to immediately address this anomaly.
Museveni further instructed that the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control must not confiscate or cancel national identity cards issued by NIRA without following due legal process.
During a press conference held at Serena Hotel in Kampala, the Banyarwanda community, represented by the Council for Abavandimwe, expressed gratitude for the executive order. “We are extremely grateful to His Excellency President Museveni for taking the time to understand and find a solution to our citizenship problem. We now request all members of the Banyarwanda community to support the President in the forthcoming general elections,” said Frank Gashumba, Co-founder of the Council for Abavandimwe.
The community also appealed to government agencies to implement the President’s executive order effectively.