Kampala -Three foreign nationals have been arrested for obtaining and attempting to acquire Ugandan passports fraudulently.
Among those arrested is Gadiel Ishime alias Aime, a 29-year-old Burundian music artist. Ishime is said to have first come to Uganda in August 2015. He however claimed to be a Munyankole from Kiruhura district and using fraudulent means, acquired a national ID and later a Ugandan passport.
According to Simon Mundeyi, the Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson Ishime was arrested from Busia border post trying to exit to Germany using the Uganda passport. Mundeyi says the suspect is currently detained at Immigration detention center at the ministry headquarters.
Another suspect is identied as Saunders David Joshua alias Damba Joshua David, a 27-year-old Nigerian male national who claims to be a businessman dealing in computers. David is said to have been frequently traveling to Uganda and last came to Uganda on the 5th of Feb 2023 via Katuna boarder post.
“He also registered and got a national ID as Damba Joshua David which he then used to apply for a Ugandan passport. Our keen officers at the interview section immediately suspected that he wasn’t a Ugandan but to give him a benefit of doubt asked him to come with a relative to authenticate his rather incoherent story so he presented a one Gibson Seruwaji as his paternal relative,” said Mundeyi
He noted that the Nigerian national and his Ugandan accomplice were arrested last week and are in police custody. “The Ugandan is one of the brokers who have been helping foreign nationals in Kampala to acquire national IDs using false names and false information and thereafter applying for Ugandan passports,” noted Mundeyi
Another suspect is Sam Kaliisa a 29-year-old Rwandese male unemployed and resident of Kitemu in Wakiso district.
“He came to Uganda in 2022 through a non gazatted boarder point. He later connected with a one Shaffic who helped him get a national ID. He impersonated Shaffic and used his information including his parents details for his national ID as well applying for the Ugandan passport,”
Karisa however escaped from police custody at Jinja road police station and on top of the charges we already leveled against him, he will be charged for escaping from lawful custody” said Mundeyi adding that efforts to have him rearrested are underway.
“Ugandan passsports are for Ugandans. The other way in which a foreigner can acquire Ugandan citizenship include through registration and naturalisation after fulfilling a certain number of requirements. Our system is continuously improving and we shall get these people,” emphasised Mundeyi.
He said the arrested persons will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.