Banyarwanda Community in Uganda Decries Discrimination in Accessing Services

By Elijah Khisa

Gashumba addressing the Banyarwanda community in Uganda

The president is reportedly set to issue a presidential executive order clearing the air on the continuous standoff between the members of the Council of Abavandimwe and various government bodies that are engaged in a protracted war of human rights violations.

The remarks were made over the weekend by the council chairman, Frank Gashumba, while addressing his members during a meeting in Kampala held at Speke Hotel.

The meeting was meant to receive the outcomes of Gashumba’s delegation meeting with the president about their outstanding issues.

He observed that their meeting held at State House Entebbe discussed several issues ranging from complaints about the unfair persecution, victimization, segregation, and violation of the citizenship rights of Banyarwanda in Uganda by some elements within the immigration department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and NIRA, respectively.

He said that the president reportedly was surprised by the developments occasioned to this group and expressed his willingness to issue a presidential executive order pronouncing the official government stand on this escalating saga, which would be communicated very soon.

“Members, we are still struggling to ensure that all our issues are sorted out once and for all, and our meeting with the president recently has yielded some fruits to the effect that he has pledged to issue a presidential executive order very soon after getting the detailed report from the task force he had set up,” revealed Gashumba to the excitement of the visibly concerned members. 

He noted that as council, “we have called you here today to give you feedback about our recent exclusive meeting with the president, of whom we briefed about our plight and have pledged to issue an executive order very soon; therefore, let us stay calm and await that moment to come.”

As you are all aware, he added: “Since we launched the Council for Abavandimwe, we have been at the forefront of the struggle against the persecution, victimization, segregation, and violation of the citizenship rights of Banyarwanda by some elements within immigration and NIRA.”

“In our struggle and activism, we have positively engaged with all structures and organs of government, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, UCC, the Human Rights Commission, the Office of the IGG, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Speaker/Parliament of Uganda, the leader of the opposition, and the President of Uganda, and we are happy to inform you that the President fully understood and paid keen interest in the violation of our citizenship rights and even discussed this matter in cabinet, and this has been confirmed by the Prime Minister of Uganda,” he added. “We are pleased to share some good news from President Yoweri Museveni with you this weekend. However, a cross-section of members voiced their concerns, accusing both immigration officers of reportedly denying them a passport, giving flimsy reasons, and NIRA for denying them a national ID while others suffer the deliberate deactivation of national IDs by NIRA, from the official records system without giving a chance to hear from the potential victims.”