Finally! Banyarwanda Outcries Tabled Before Parliament

The Parliament has referred a petition by the Council for Abanvandimwe raising issues of gross citizenship and human rights violations to the Committee of Defense and Internal Affairs for disposal.

Council for Abavandimwe is an umbrella association that brings together Banyarwanda born and raised in Uganda.

A group of Banvandimwe appearing Before the Parliament on Tuesday April 16th 2024.

On Tuesday, Parliament chaired by the Speaker Rt Hon Anita Annet Among after hearing the petition presented by Kalungu Member of Parliament Hon Gonzaga Sewungu immediately referred it to the Committee as provided for Under rule 30 of the Parliamentary rules of Procedure.

The rules state that a Petition referred to a Committee hall be disposed of within forty five days from the date the Petition is referred to it. As such, this implies that the committee will report back to the August house after 45 days from today.

The petition based on more than ten grounds among others highlighted concerns such as segregation and failure to get national Identification documents.

“Ugandan Banyarwanda have not only been denied passports and national identity cards but the previous passports held by these persons have been confiscated, which has caused pain, suffering and psychological torture”, said Sewungu.

Ssewungu further told Parliament that Ugandan Banyarwanda have been denied opportunities for employment both in Uganda and abroad.

The Chairman Council for Abavandimwe Frank Gashumba (Left) together with Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Anita Among.

He presented the petition as more than 40 members of Council for Abavandimwe led by their Chairman Frank Gashumba attended and watched proceedings attentively from the Parliament’s gallery.

Addressing Journalists after the reading of the motion, the Chairman Council for Abavandimwe Frank Gashumba said that the group was very happy that for the first time in the history of Uganda, the hatred that is ongoing has been tabled before the Parliament.

“Where we live, we live like a family as the Banyarwanda. But the biggest challenge is at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Department of Immigration. Those who have passports are being confiscated as well as those with Identification Cards”, said Gashumba.

He emphasized that they are Ugandans 100 percent with no attachment to Rwanda despite the fact that they love and support it as a country in what it does.

Chairman Council for Abavandimwe Frank Gashumba infront leading the group members out of Parliament from presenting their petition to the August House on Tuesday.

“We all hail from different ethnic backgrounds and at the end of the day, we all Africans” said Gashumba wondering why one would deny them an East African passport yet they are promoting the regional integration”, said Gashumba.

Gashumba reasons that the victims of the ongoing denial of national IDs and passports are however, issued voters slips every five years to vote during general elections, wondering why they are Ugandans during elections but dismissed as non-Ugandans when they apply for national IDs and passports.

Kiboga District Woman MP Christine Nakimwero Kaaya (NUP) is one of the legislators who have been vocal on defending the citizenship rights of the Banyarwanda.

Speaker amidst the petitioners.

Last month, Kaaya appealed to the Speaker to direct the Immigration officials to refund monies for the unsuccessful passport applicants, adding that the victims complain of losing both the opportunity to get passport as well as their cash.

The motion has come on the floor of Parliament barely a month after the group met the Speaker Anita Among who promised to make sure that parliament and government addresses their long standing grievances.

The Ugandan Banyarwanda became an indigenous tribe following the annexation of Rwanda’s border territories affecting areas such as Kisoro, Kigezi, Ndorwa among others.