President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has signed an Executive Order to protect the citizenship rights of Ugandans, particularly in response to complaints about discrimination in passport and national identity card issuance.
Citing Article 99 (1) and (4) of the Constitution, Museveni issued the directive on January 24, 2025, to address concerns raised by individuals, including members of the Banyarwanda community born and raised in Uganda. They reported being denied identification documents despite being Ugandan citizens.
“The issue is not the law or any gaps in it but how the law is administered with regard to proof of citizenship by applicants for passports or other documents of identity,” Museveni stated.
The President reaffirmed that Uganda’s 1995 Constitution defines citizenship through birth, registration, and naturalization. He directed officials of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) to follow Section 40 of the Citizenship and Immigration Control Act, which requires applicants to provide only their National Identification Number (NIN) and meet any other legal requirements.
“Every Ugandan citizen has a right to a passport or other travel document and to enter, leave, and return to Uganda,” Museveni ordered. He warned immigration officials against imposing additional requirements beyond those provided by law and stressed that citizenship by birth is inherent.
“There must be a presumption of citizenship unless an immigration officer has cogent and reliable evidence that the information submitted by an applicant is not true,” he said.
Museveni also addressed a legal gap where children of citizens by birth and naturalization are not automatically recognized as citizens. “The Minister of Internal Affairs and the Attorney General are directed to immediately have this anomaly addressed,” he said.
The directive further prohibits the DCIC from confiscating or canceling national identity cards issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) without following due process.
The Executive Order follows complaints from the Council for Abavandimwe, which has campaigned against discrimination in passport issuance, national ID denials, and the arbitrary deactivation of identification documents.
