Parliament defers Muganga approval over multiple citizenship

Kampala, Uganda: Parliament’s Appointments Committee has deferred the approval of Victoria University Vice Chancellor Dr Lawrence Muganga for appointment as State Minister for Internal Affairs over concerns relating to his multiple citizenship.

The decision emerged Tuesday after the Committee on Appointments, chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth, concluded a two-day vetting exercise for President Yoweri Museveni’s newly appointed Cabinet and State ministers.

Sources familiar with the proceedings said the committee’s due diligence established that Dr Muganga held Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan citizenship at different stages, prompting members to seek clarification and evidence regarding the status of his citizenship.

According to a source who attended the vetting proceedings, Dr Muganga informed the committee that he relinquished his Rwandan citizenship upon acquiring Canadian citizenship. However, the committee reportedly required documentary evidence confirming the renunciation of any foreign citizenships before clearing him for the sensitive Internal Affairs docket.

“We asked him about the issue of multiple citizenship because we found that he held three citizenships, including Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan. He explained that he had renounced his Rwandan citizenship when he became Canadian, but the committee was not fully satisfied with the evidence presented regarding the citizenship status,” a source familiar with the discussions said.

The issue of dual and multiple citizenship featured prominently during the ministerial vetting exercise following public concerns about the eligibility of some nominees to hold certain public offices.

During his appearance before the committee, Dr Muganga dismissed claims that he currently holds Rwandan citizenship and emphasised his commitment to Uganda.

“Before I came here, I definitely had two citizenships: Ugandan citizenship and Canadian citizenship. Like many young people, I left Uganda to pursue opportunities abroad, worked there and supported family members back home. That does not take away one’s love for their country. I am Ugandan. Uganda is my country,” Muganga told journalists after his vetting.

The academic’s vetting came days after city lawyer and Democratic Front Deputy Secretary General Deric Fredric Namakajo petitioned Parliament seeking to block his approval.

Namakajo argued that holding dual citizenship could be inconsistent with provisions of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Amendment) Act, 2009, which restrict holders of dual citizenship from occupying certain sensitive state positions.

Addressing journalists after the vetting exercise, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa revealed that the committee identified four nominees with dual or multiple citizenship issues.

“We did a verification with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and discovered that we had three colleagues who had dual citizenship and one colleague who had multiple citizenship. We looked at it extensively, and all of them proved that they had renounced citizenship in the other countries,” Tayebwa said.

He commended the affected nominees for choosing Uganda over foreign citizenships. “They have taken a patriotic step of choosing Uganda above all. Some of these people have families in those countries and have made sacrifices, but they chose to renounce the other citizenships. We appreciate them for being patriotic,” Tayebwa added.

The Deputy Speaker confirmed that Parliament approved 80 out of the 82 ministerial nominees presented by President Museveni, with one nominee yet to appear before the committee and another remaining under review.

80 ministers out of 82 cleared as parliament completes vetting process

Opposition Calls for Strict Compliance

Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi welcomed Parliament’s scrutiny of citizenship issues, saying the law should be applied consistently.

“If somebody has dual or multiple citizenship, they should first renounce citizenship of the other countries so that the law is followed. If there is proof that this person has renounced those citizenships and remains solely a Ugandan citizen, then we can discuss other issues,” Ssenyonyi said.

Under Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the Speaker is required to communicate the committee’s decisions to the President within three working days.

The development means Dr Muganga’s appointment remains pending as Parliament awaits further clarification on his citizenship status before making a final determination.