The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCI) is facing challenges processing passports for children born out of incest, as mothers are choosing not to disclose details of the actual fathers. The Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, Simon Peter Mundeyi, revealed that they are currently dealing with over 5,000 passport applications that lack complete information, particularly regarding fathers. Many of these cases involve children born out of incest or extramarital affairs.
According to Mundeyi, women are often coming to process passports for their children but are leaving the section for the father's details blank. The DCI cannot proceed with passport applications containing partial details and requires comprehensive information for both parents.
In 2023 alone, DCI recorded 52 cases where women indicated that the fathers of their children were their own relatives. Other situations involve women in relationships with multiple men, making it challenging to conclusively identify the exact father. Some women found themselves with fatherless children after subjecting their offspring to DNA tests.
Additionally, Mundeyi highlighted that DCI has processed 320,000 passports for Ugandans this year. However, they are currently grappling with over 40,000 unclaimed passports. People complete the online details, pay the necessary fees, attend physical interviews, but fail to collect the issued passports. The Kyambogo collection center is now full, posing a logistical challenge for the storage of these unclaimed passports.
Meanwhile, in 2023, DCI deported at least 323 illegal foreigners, with a majority originating from Pakistan, India, and Nigeria. To enhance accessibility and reduce the number of people traveling to Kampala, the directorate plans to open passport application and distribution centers in Jinja and Arua in 2024.
