Internal Affairs explains how Nigerians acquire Ugandan national IDs, passports
Foreigners, especially Nigerians, have reportedly been bribing local officials to procure travel documents like passports and National Identification cards.
The Ministry Of Internal Affairs has confirmed the arrest of two foreign nationals over the forgery of Uganda National Identification (ID) cards and passports.
According to the ministry, Nshimiye Gadiel, a Burundi national was found in illegal possession of a National ID, passport and birth certificate whereas David Joshua, a Nigerian, was nabbed trying to secure a Ugandan passport irregularly.
Speaking before the press, Simon Peter Mundeyi, the Spokesperson at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, noted that the two are to be charged with fraudulently attempting to acquire Ugandan passports.
“The first arrested foreign National is Nshimiye Gadiel also known as Ayime, a 29-year-old Burundian male and music artist. He first came to Uganda in august 2015, using a Burundian passport before getting a national ID after falsely declaring himself as a Munyankole from Kiruhura district,” he said.
Nshimiye later on according to Mundeyi got a Ugandan passport which led to his arrest from Busia border post trying to exit Uganda en route to Germany using the Ugandan passport.
Regarding David Joshua, who has been calling himself Ddamba Joshua, Mundeyi said he has been claiming to be a businessman dealing in computers and has been frequently travelling to Uganda using a Ugandan passport.
“However, after being suspected to be a Ugandan by officials at the ministry while in the interview room, he was asked to bring a relative to ascertain the authenticity of his story hence presenting one Sseruwaji Gibson as his paternal relative,” he noted.
The two were both arrested at the ministry and are in police custody for further investigations into their acts of acquiring passports using false documents.
In the same line, Mundeyi confirmed the arrest of Kalisa Sam, 29, who is a resident of Kitemu, Wakiso district, who came to Uganda through an ungazetted border point and later connected to a one Shafiq who helped him get a national ID.
Mundeyi explained that Kalisa impersonated Shafique and used his details including those of his parents to acquire a national ID and passport.
However, Mundeyi confirmed that Kaliisa has already escaped from police custody and efforts are underway to have him rearrested.
According to the Constitution, a citizen must be born in Uganda or have one or both parents or grandparents a member of any of the indigenous communities existing and residing within the borders of the country by February 1926.
Further according to the ministry, although born outside Uganda, one can become a citizen if their parents or grandparents were at the time of that person’s birth a citizen of Uganda by birth.
But if a child of not more than five years of age is found in Uganda and his parents are unknown, that child is then presumed to be Ugandan.
