The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja has assured Parliament that authorities will tackle the plight of Abavandimwe, a group of Ugandans of Rwandese origin.
Nabbanja stated that the Abavandimwe who petitioned Parliament in April 2024 decrying discrimination and violation of their citizenship rights have met with President Yoweri Museveni who promised to deal with their issues.
“The President met this group on 23 October and briefed the Cabinet on 28 October 2024. The related ministry is taking motion and we’re doing rather a lot to ensure that is solved,” stated Nabbanja.
Nabbanja was responding to the report of the Committee on Defence and Veteran Affairs on the petition by the Council of Abavandimwe on Thursday, 28 November 2024 in the course of the House sitting chaired by Speaker, Anita Among
The Council of Abavandimwe of their petition alleged that the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DICIC) confiscated their nationwide identification playing cards (IDs) and passports and declined those that utilized for a similar.
They sought Parliament’s intervention saying lack of IDs and passports has considerably affected their livelihood as they can not transact in banks, and that these whose passports expired whereas working or finding out overseas have been compelled to desert their jobs and research.
However, the findings of the Committee on Defence and Veteran Affairs offered by the Chairperson, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye established illegalities on the aspect of the petitioners.
“A complete of 4,554 candidates have been purple flagged for having fraudulently acquired IDs pending NIRA cross examination. There have been 4,357 individuals who’ve acquired discover to cancel their registration attributable to inaccurate info or fraudulent registration,” stated Kajwengye.
The committee really helpful that the aggrieved individuals pursue the dispute decision course of as outlined in Section 83 of the Registration of Persons Act if they’re dissatisfied with the operations of NIRA.
The Speaker dominated that the actions of the President in addressing the plight of the petitioners supersedes the committee suggestions and halted adoption of the report.
“This is a really delicate matter so that you can talk about; we wish motion from the Prime Minister. There is govt motion being taken by authorities. We shall look ahead to the motion from authorities earlier than we undertake the report,” Among stated.
The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi proposed that Parliament ought to proceed and undertake the report because it waits on authorities’s promise to answer petitioners.
“Considering the doctrine of separation of powers, I believed it might be prudent to do what we should do and never abdicate the accountability of Parliament. We neatly end the job, course of the report and let the chief do its job,” Ssenyonyi stated.
Kalungu West MP, Hon. Joseph Ssewungu who can also be the mover of the movement for presidency to contemplate the petition stated that authorities should be given deadlines for its actions.
The Premier stated a report on motion taken will likely be offered to the House in two months .
