Internal Affairs Ministry Denies Issuing Diplomatic Passport to Rugiirwa Katatumba

The Ministry addressed the growing public outcry during a press conference held at the Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday, emphasizing the strict eligibility criteria for obtaining a diplomatic passport.

“There was a public outcry recently after a social media post by Mr Rugiirwa Katatumba claiming to hold a diplomatic passport. The post went viral, and many of you contacted me for comments,” the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer (PRO)  Simon Mundeyi stated. “We want to assure the public that we have never issued a diplomatic passport to Mr. Rugiirwa Katatumba. He has been summoned to explain whose passport he displayed on social media because it was not issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”

The Ministry went ahead and shared specific details about Mr Katatumba’s passport history. He applied for an ordinary passport on April 10, 2021, and collected it from the Ministry’s Passport Center in Kyambogo on November 22, 2021. “His current passport, which was issued in 2021, is valid until October 15, 2031, and it is the only passport we have on record for him,” Mundeyi explained.

The lost passport Mr. Katatumba replaced in 2021 was also an ordinary passport with no diplomatic status, as he has never held any position that would qualify him for a diplomatic passport.

Diplomatic Passport Eligibility

The Ministry used the occasion outline to provide a detailed explanation of who is entitled to a diplomatic passport, which is red in colour and highly restricted. According to the Ministry, diplomatic passports are issued only to individuals holding the highest offices in Uganda, including:

The President and members of the First Family.The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The Chief Justice. Government ministers and their spouses. The Head of the Public Service. The Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda. Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of state universities, such as Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Gulu University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Kabale University.

Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and High Court. Permanent Secretaries of government ministries. Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of Permanent Commissions, such as the Electoral Commission, Amnesty Commission, Health Service Commission, and Public Service Commission. Recognized and gazetted traditional or cultural leaders and Foreign service officers stationed abroad and their spouses, as well as children under 18 who live with them.

“To get a diplomatic passport, you must meet the legal qualifications. Diplomatic passports are reserved for top government officials and diplomats. This is a serious matter, and the public must understand that it’s not easy to obtain one,” he stressed.

Service Passport Eligibility

In addition to diplomatic passports, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issues service passports which are green in colour. These passports are also limited to specific categories of individuals, including Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of private universities, such as Uganda Christian University (UCU), Kampala International University (KIU), and Victoria University. Members of Parliament

Heads of government departments, such as commissioners. Members of Permanent Commissions, including the Electoral Commission, Judicial Service Commission, and Health Service Commission. Religious leaders, including the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, the Archbishop of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, and the Supreme Mufti of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council and other individuals authorized by the Minister of Internal Affairs.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs can only have the powers to issue a service passport, ladies and gentlemen, not the diplomatic passport so and any other person as the Minister of Internal Affairs may authorize,” he said.

 Ordinary Passport for Citizens

The ordinary passport, which is blue in color, is available to all Ugandan citizens and is meant for personal travel. “It is the most common passport, issued to every eligible Ugandan citizen for travel abroad, it is blue in colour, electronic in nature, and it costs Shs250,000 the service passport costs Shs400,000 and the diplomatic passport costs Shs500,000 only.”

He further explained that obtaining an ordinary passport requires a valid national ID or national identification number (NIN), highlighting that even if one loses the physical ID card, knowing the NIN is sufficient to apply for a passport. The system, integrated with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), ensures that the identification process is seamless.

Reassuring the public, the Mundeyi emphasized that the Ministry follows strict regulations when issuing passports, particularly diplomatic passports, which are reserved for specific individuals. “The public should be rest assured that we do not simply issue diplomatic passports. Only those who qualify under the law can receive them,” he stated firmly.