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KAMPALA - The Speaker of Parliament, Anitah Among,  has called for the recognition and inclusion of the Banyarwanda in the Third Schedule of Uganda’s Constitution.

This, she said would end the current discrimination where some members of this community are denied national IDs, while others have had their IDs confiscated, despite Banyarwanda being legally recognized in the 1995 Constitution.

The Speaker made the appeal while receiving the 26th Annual Report on the State of Human Rights and Freedoms in Uganda in 2023 from Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) after the Commission decried the human rights violations faced by some stateless people in Uganda.

Recently Ugandans of Rwandan origin asked that one of their own be appointed to an immigration panel charged with screening national identity card and passport applicants.

Haruna Ssewaya, the legal advisor to the ‘Council for Abavandimwe’, made the submission while interacting with the House Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs chaired by Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushozi County, NRM).

The not-for-profit body led by city businessman Frank Gashumba commands an active membership of over 260,000 self-identifying Banyarwanda, spread across the country and abroad.

The engagement was pursuant to a directive Speaker Among gave a month back. This followed a petition that was presented by Kalungu West Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu (NUP).  

At the time, Ssewungu had requested Parliament to investigate the alleged marginalization and discrimination of the ethnicity.

“Appointment of a Munyarwanda as an immigration officer and supervisor. We are also concerned that the composition of the immigration officers does not comprise a Munyarwanda official and because of this, the interview process cannot be fair to Banyarwanda. We pray that all Banyarwanda are interviewed by a Munyarwanda and not a Mufumbira as it is for other ethnic groups,” Ssewaya reiterated.