Crime
URHC investigates denial of Passports to Kakwenza’s children by Directorate of Immigration
Following a petition by novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija on allegations that the passport office has denied passports to three children, the Uganda Human Rights Commission -UHRC has started investigations into the matter.
The UHRC Director of Complaints, Investigations and Legal Services, Aida Nakiganda has written to the Director of the Directorate of Immigration in a letter dated 22nd, June, 2022, asking him to respond to the allegations raised by Kakwenza’s lawyer, Eron Kiiza.
On 20th, June, 2022 Kiiza, representing Kakwenza and his children wrote to the UHRC alleging that his clients, who are children of Kakwenza had been denied passports which amounted to violation of their rights as Ugandans to own a passport.
The three children namely; Rutakirwa Mugabe Kakwenza 2yrs, Siima Nyinaboona Kakwenza 4 and Nina Kayitesti Kakwenza 9yrs are said to have applied for passports on 15th, February, 2022 and did interviews on 10th, March, 2022.
Documents submitted to the UHRC indicate that the application was documented under file No. IMT 6785/13 and Receiving slip No. 218562.
However, Kiiza noted in the petition that despite numerous efforts to follow up on the application, there has been no reason given to explain the delay by the passport office to issue passports to the children.
UHRC says they need a response from the Directorate as part of the Commission’s inquiry into the compliant. The Commission further requested the Director of Citizenship and Immigration Control to furnish the complainant with Information on the state of their clients’ passports so that they can explore the option of the appeal process provided for under section 10 of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act.
“The allegations if proved are in contravention of Article 29 (2) of the Constitution and section 39 of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act which provides that every Ugandan shall have the right to a passport or other travel documents” added Nakiganda.
