KAMPALA — Internal Affaira Ministry Spokesperson Simon Peter Mundeyi has revealed that renowned writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija’s children’s passports are ready for pickup in Kyambogo.
In his June 20, 2022 petition filed by Counsel Eron Kiiza, the novelist said that his three children namely Rutakirwa Mugabe Kakwenza 2 years, Siima Nyinaboona Kakwenza 4, and Nina Kayitesti Kakwenza 9 years applied for express passports, submitted all the relevant documents and attended the mandatory interviews in March 2022.
“Despite the children, their parents, and their lawyers religiously following up the citizens application for passports since March, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) has refused to grant the children of Kakwenza Rukirabashaija their passports contrary to Article 29 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and Section 39 of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act, Cap 66 which guarantees the right to every Ugandan citizen to a passport,” reads the letter.
However, Mundeyi explains that when the children applied for passports in March, it was during a time when they were doing a system upgrade.
“Production of passports was cut by 60%. This process ended 2-3 weeks back, and we started clearing the backlog.We don’t involve politics in our work at the passport office. I want to make that very clear,” he told journalist at Police Headquarters in Naguru.
He further noted they are going to modify their systems so that families can apply for passports at the same time.
“In the meantime, if you have applied with your family, walk in together, and we shall handle you as a whole,” said Mundeyi.
Mundeyi called upon Ugandans to go and pick their passports since they have over 40,000 passports, with some dating back to 2018.
” If these passports are not picked in one or two months, we are going to destroy them. We have noticed that some of the people who haven’t picked their passports are for the girls who had to go to the Middle East,” he noted.
“For those who processed their passports between 2018 – 2021, come and pick them up. We shall not ask for the message,” he added.
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