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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) has revealed that Ugandans with expired National Identity Cards (IDs) shall still be eligible to acquire new passports.
According to the Directorate, many people have been expressing worries about what will happen since most of the National IDs have already expired and many more are expected to expire by the end of September.
In a communication by DCIC Director, Maj Gen Apollo Kasiita Gowa and Brig Gen Namanya Abaho, the Commissioner for Citizenship and Passport Control through the Ministry of Internal Affairs Spokesperson Simon Peter Mundeyi, passports will continue to be given to Ugandans provided they know their NINs.
Mundeyi said that the directorate received communication from the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) that NINs do not expire so that means even when a National ID has expired, the person who knows it can get the passport.
“We are getting a lot of people inquiring about the looming expiry of National IDs. We shall continue issuing passports irrespective of the expiry of the national ID. This is because NIRA has told us that NINs do not expire. People who have been worried should have their fears arrested,” Mundeyi said.
DCIC has explained that when giving out passports, they look only for the NIN on the national ID. However, DCIC has warned that whoever got a National ID when he or she is not a Ugandan citizen either by birth or naturalization will not have access to a passport even if they know their NINs.
Additionally, DCIC has warned people who are making mistakes in passport collection centres on their online application forms that they will not make any changes to them. According to Mundeyi, they have noticed that some people apply for passports based in Gulu or Mbarara but indicate they will collect them at the Kampala centre.
“If you are in Mbarara, you should indicate Mbarara as the collection centre and you should do the same if you are applying in Gulu. Once you say you will collect your passport in Kampala when you apply in Gulu, be assured you will have to collect it in Kampala. We don’t change collection centres the applicants have indicated,” Mundeyi said.
DCIC has urged Rwandans and nationals from different countries who were born in Uganda yet their parents are not Ugandans to ensure they naturalize their citizenship because they are not eligible for passports. Mundeyi said the Banyarwanda recognized in in the constitution are the ones who were in Uganda at the time of demarcating borders in February 1922.
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