President Museveni Meets Banyarwanda Ugandans to Address Citizenship Rights!

In a significant move toward addressing citizenship rights issues, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni met with members of Uganda’s Banyarwanda community, represented by the Council for Abavandimwe, at State House Entebbe. The meeting, which lasted four hours, was led by Frank Gashumba, Chairperson of the Council for Abavandimwe and Vice Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda, alongside Prof. Muganga, Vice Chancellor of Victoria University.

The discussions centered around issues of discrimination against Banyarwanda Ugandans, who face barriers in obtaining national identity cards, passports, and other official documents despite their recognition as a Ugandan tribe under the 1995 Constitution. During the meeting, community representatives shared testimonies of these challenges, revealing that, in some cases, members of the Banyarwanda community have been denied passports hence losing job opportunities and scholarships abroad while others have failed to access to medical treatment abroad due to denial of passports.

Council for Abavandimwe members in a meeting at State House

Reflecting on the meeting, Gashumba expressed gratitude for the President’s willingness to listen and engage on these issues.

“Yesterday, I, along with other leaders of the Council for Abavandimwe, met with President Museveni to discuss the abuse of citizenship rights faced by the Banyarwanda at the hands of some individuals in the Immigration Department and NIRA. The President was shocked by the testimonies from victims, and we appreciate his commitment to finding a lasting solution for Banyarwanda,” said Gashumba.

Sources who attended the meeting say that the President was shocked by testimonies where someone  denied a passport on account of being a Munyarwanda yet his or her parents or siblings have them. He was also surprised to learn that many of these Banyarwanda have National Identity Cards and are allowed to vote yet they are denied Passports.

The Council for Abavandimwe hopes that President Museveni’s intervention will lead to practical solutions that uphold the constitutional rights of the Banyarwanda Ugandans.

This engagement reflects a commitment by the government to address and resolve issues of equality and inclusion for all recognized tribes in Uganda, as outlined in the Constitution.

Earlier this year, the Council for Abavandimwe led by Frank Gashumba petitioned Parliament over the same and the Speaker promised to look into their complaints!