Museveni Signs Executive Order Allowing Banyarwanda Staying In The Country To Be Accorded All Legal Uganda Documents.

President Yoweri Museveni has issued an Executive Order to end the injustice which some reactionary and malicious elements at immigration and NIRA have perpetrated against the Banyarwanda community for so long.

A section of ethnic Banyarwanda in Uganda, who call themselves Bavandimwe have pushing for formal recognition by the government.

 According to their chairperson, Frank Gashumba, many of them have been denied passports and national IDs, and have been appealing to the President to address this situation, as they see themselves as Ugandan nationals.

Recently, Bavandimwe people had resolved to drag government to Constitutional Court to pronounce it'self on whether they are supposed to get Ugandan passport and National Identification Cards or not.

Frank Gashumba the Bavandimwe Chairman noted that, following an outcry from the Banyarwanda community arising from systematic abuse and violation of their citizenship rights by NIRA and Ugandan immigration officials, Council for Abavandimwe studied the applicable law and came to the conclusion that there is nothing wrong with the constitutional provisions, but what is wrong, is the conduct of NIRA and Immigration officials which is unconstitutional. Gashumba added that, immigration officials victimise their people; when a Ugandan Munyarwanda applies for a passport, he/she is told to bring his father.

 When he brings the father, he/she is told to bring the mother. When he/she complies (ignoring all transport expenses and time in back and forth movement of parents, something which immigration officials don't subject to other tribes) he/she is told to bring the grand parents. When he/she brings the grand parents (incase any of them is still arrive) immigration officials then demand for graduated tax card.

 He adds, whether you are lucky to still have a graduated tax card or you are unlucky and it got destroyed, the immigration officials order you to naturalize, which means "buying citizenship" Can you imagine 'buying citizenship" in a country of your birth, where your grand parents lived and are buried, and where the local authorities have confirmed with authentic letters that you are indeed a bonafide citizen!? It doesn't end there.

 While some Banyarwanda refuse to naturalize, those who are misled by immigration officials to naturalize, are asked to produce letter from the country of origin, which they can't produce, as they have no address, no legal background in Rwanda, because they are simply Ugandans!

"This terrible scenario is had rendered our people stateless, because of the naked discrimination and violation of their rights by Ugandan immigration officials, who do that to our people, and get away with impunity. Not only that, NIRA deactivates our people's national ID's, while others seeking to renew their passports, the immigration officials tell them how they shouldn't be Ugandan passport holders, and they refuse to renew their passports, as a result, many have lost the jobs they had secured abroad, from which they would send money to look after their families ( something that benefits the country) and are now stranded in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world". He said. Gashumba has however,Commended President Museveni and Gen. Saleh who both said it was 'a small matter' which could easily be solved.

 He added that with this executive order they are fully going to enjoy their rights as Ugandans.