Fake passport dealers
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has cautioned the public to be aware of unauthorised brokers dishing out fake passports at UGX1 million to desperate Ugandans.
Simon Peter Mundeyi, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said the alleged brokers operate on Nasser, Dewinton and Nkurumah roads in Kampala, advertising and selling express e-passports at UGX1 million and above.
Mudenyi says the fake brokers claim to process passports between six hours to three days in their posted adverts. According to Mundeyi, desperate Ugandans hungry for last-minute passports have landed in the hands of brokers who have duped them of millions of shillings.
This is not the first time that the ministry is confronted with the challenge of quack brokers.
In June 2022, the ministry arrested 17 suspected con men disguising as the institution’s workers. The arrests followed covert operations carried out by crime intelligence officers deployed outside the ministry’s premises.
Fake passport dealers
The officers who were deployed near fuel stations and eateries nabbed the suspects charging desperate passport applicants between UGX500,000 to UGX2 million to process them passports.
Mundeyi stated that some of the suspects trick applicants into securing early appointments and in some instances, promising to get them passports in less than five days.
The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) outlawed the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) on 4th April this year, replacing them with the Ugandan East African e-passport in 2018. This system has since created a backlog in applicant numbers.
On Tuesday, 20th September 2022 during plenary, the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, tasked the Minister of Internal Affairs to explain the continued delays in processing of the new electronic passports.
“Minister, you should make a statement tomorrow [Wednesday]. You should also explain the rationale behind payment for renewal of passports,” Tayebwa said.
He gave the directive following a matter of national importance raised by Nakawa Division East MP, Hon. Ronald Balimwezo over delays in issuance of passports to applicants.
An ordinary passport costs UGX250,000 and its production must take approximately two weeks while an express passport costs UGX500,000 with a production period of three to five days.
compiled by Minah Nalule
