Last week’s executive order by President Museveni to end the long-standing marginalization of the Banyarwanda/Abavandimwe community in Uganda will go a long way to address challenges related to national identity cards and passports.
However, concerns remain over the implementation of the directive, with calls for transparency and accountability at the grassroots level. On January 23, President Museveni signed an executive order to end marginalization against the Banyarwanda/Abavandimwe in Uganda.
This follows four years of lobbying through the Council of Abavandimwe, who have met several high-profile figures such as the speaker of parliament, Attorney General and President Museveni himself.
The order seeks to resolve the community’s challenges in accessing national identity cards (IDs) and passports, issues that have persisted for years. The executive order mandates that all Banyarwanda individuals whose national IDs were deactivated or confiscated should have them reinstated without further delay.
It also directs authorities to promptly process passport applications for individuals presenting valid national IDs, provided they are endorsed by local authorities. President Museveni emphasized the principle that “a citizen produces a citizen,” meaning that if a parent holds Ugandan citizenship documents, their children must not be denied the same rights.
The order further prohibits the enforcement of illegal and arbitrary requirements such as demands for grandparents’ presence during verification processes, production of outdated graduated tax tickets, photographs of burial grounds, and evidence proving family presence in Uganda before 1926.
BACKGROUND
For years, the Banyarwanda community in Uganda had silently faced marginalization, especially through denial of passports and national Identity cards. This, however, did not raise public eyebrows partly due to the misguided narrative that many of them held deep attachment to Rwanda.
As a result, many prominent Banyarwanda figures were always treated with suspicion of espionage and as a result, many Banyarwanda did not want to publicly declare their heritage. The irony in all this is that the Constitution recognizes the Banyarwanda as Ugandans.
In fact, although the recent National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) put the population of Banyarwanda at 629,672, it is estimated they are more than three million of them in Uganda.
However, things changed in 2001 when a group of prominent Banyarwanda figures led by Prof Lawrence Muganga set up the Council of Abavandimwe to support and protect the rights of the indigenous Banyarwanda community in Uganda.
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM
Several leading figures in the Abavandimwe community have expressed relief. For one, Prof Muganga says that with this order, the Abavandimwe dignity has been restored.
“On behalf of myself, my family, and the entire indigenous Banyarwanda community of Uganda, I extend our deepest gratitude to President Museveni. His bold and visionary executive order to restore our dignity and rights reaffirms his firm commitment to pan-Africanism and the values of Ubuntu. We pray for abundant blessings upon him and wish him a long, prosperous life filled with continued success,” he says.
“Our community (past, present and future) will forever cherish and honor his exemplary leadership and generosity. Our ancestors, along with the gallant Banyarwanda men and women whom he led and fought alongside during the NRA revolutionary war take great pride in him wherever they are.”
Meanwhile, Mustafa Yusuf Ndagijje says though he was born in Uganda in 1971, his passport application was denied in February 2024 on grounds that he is not a Ugandan.
“I was born in Kisoro district to parents Umar Ndagijje and Esperance Kakuze, who were also born in Uganda. My application was turned down in spite of the fact that I have a National Identification Number (NIN) and a certificate of identity confirming my Ugandan citizenship. This order means I can now contribute meaningfully to the development of the country without unnecessary hindrances,” he says.
On the other hand, Vincent Kamegere says immigration officials denied his passport application in May, 2023, claiming he was Rwandan, not Ugandan.
“I was born on August 28, 1993, in Nsonga village, Mukono district, to Emmanuel Munyesanga and Erina Nzitakuze, both Ugandan. My National Identification Number (NIN) is CM93032105598G. But my passport was denied despite submitting the required documents. So, with the executive order, I feel hopeful now. This decision will open doors for us. I no longer have to live in fear of being stateless,” he says.
IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
The executive order is expected to have far-reaching effects on the Banyarwanda community. With the assurance of proper documentation, many Banyarwanda individuals are expected to access employment opportunities, financial services, and travel opportunities that were previously out of reach.
However, some concerns remain regarding the implementation of the order at the grassroots level. The Council of Abavandimwe has called for a robust monitoring mechanism to ensure that local authorities comply fully.
But Uganda!! why are abanyarwanda not ready to go their country, which they say is very good
Indeed it is not easy to know who is a real Ugandan. There were some we knew were born and studied in Uganda even on scholarships and later we got to know they went back to Rwanda got good jobs and some even became Ministers in the Govt. Such things are even happening today. They benefit from both ends.
Marc Mae you have a point indeed. Such immigrant activists who have one leg in one country and another one in the next have got to be properly assessed these days. The local authority (LC democratic elections)in this country is no longer an elected body and active. It seems that even in most countries, citizenship is given out after very strigent observations of the characters of the applicants especially concerning international political terrorism and support of dictatorship governance. The United Nation statutes of immigration need to be revisited by the government of Uganda where in this country, dictatorship seems to be formulated and growing tenfold by the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. Brutal dictatorship may also employ techniques of mass propaganda in order to sustain their public support. By the way immigration given out upharzardly can be revoked and the immigrants concerned returned to their great grand parents’ country of abode even if it needs to be on their dead bodies! Really for civilization to grow, charity begins at home. And home is best. Indeed why are some people afraid to go back to their home countries and fraternise? Even Jesus Christ did go back to His Father’s home in Heaven even when humanity He kindly visited, tried to kill Him dead for ever!
reasons for it. If IDs were deactivated or passports withdrawn it means there were grounds/reasons for it. It happens in other countries too. In this case with our Banyarwanda friends we the different scenarios well. Do not take for granted.
I wonder when they start to recognize the Baganda tribe in UK? After all many have been in the UK and are even into the fifth generation … and they even have their own local market named Owino market. Don’t you think these Mzunguz have something to teach us about sectarianism and all this isolationism?