By Nelson Naturinda<\/p>\n
What began as a routine government formation process after President Yoweri Museveni\u2019s swearing-in for a new term on May 12 has thrust Uganda\u2019s long-running citizenship debate into the national spotlight.<\/p>\n
Among the names submitted for ministerial jobs were individuals who had previously held citizenship of countries other than Uganda. While some nominees such as Adonia Ayebare and David Echodu faced scrutiny from Parliament\u2019s Appointments Committee over citizenship-related issues, it was the rejection of Dr Lawrence Muganga that reignited a much deeper conversation about identity, ethnicity and citizenship.<\/p>\n
Long before the Muganga controversy emerged, what started as complaints about difficulty obtaining national identity cards and passports had evolved into one of Uganda\u2019s sensitive constitutional debates.<\/p>\n
Leaders of the Banyarwanda community have since sought parliamentary intervention, presidential action and constitutional reforms, arguing that they are necessary to resolve decades of uncertainty surrounding their citizenship and a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n
Over the past two years, organisations representing Ugandans of Banyarwanda descent have petitioned Parliament, met with President Museveni and conducted nationwide consultations aimed at securing changes to Uganda\u2019s citizenship framework.<\/p>\n
And the campaign has extended beyond Uganda\u2019s borders. The community\u2019s representatives have sought meetings with officials of the European Union, the British High Commission, the United Nations, the United States Embassy, and other members of the diplomatic corps in an effort to draw attention to their concerns.<\/p>\n
Their legal adviser, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, a former member of the East African Legislative Assembly, argues that more than six million Kinyarwanda-speaking people in Uganda have been \u201crendered stateless\u201d because of provisions contained in Article 10 of the 1995 Constitution.<\/p>\n