Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has stated that the replacement of lost passports for Ugandans living abroad will only take place in Uganda to protect the integrity of Ugandan passports and ensure that holders can travel confidently.

Mundeyi made the clarifications in a press statement of May 7, 2024, in response to an announcement made on Monday, May 6, 2024, during the joint Ministry of Internal Affairs press conference at police headquarters in Naguru, regarding the replacement of lost passports by Ugandans living abroad.

“It was communicated that the replacement of the lost passports can only be done in Uganda and not in the host countries where the loss occurred,” Mundeyi stated.

According to Mundeyi, the decision was made to preserve the integrity of Ugandan passports, which had previously been tainted by a racket involving both Ugandans and non-Ugandans.

“These people were found to be selling Ugandan passports to fraudsters for use in criminal activities. As a result, there was a risk of Ugandan passports being blacklisted by some countries,” Mundeyi said.

He added that criminals were taking advantage of the fact that it is difficult to distinguish between Africans in some countries, even when their passports are clearly altered.

“They were using genuine passports bought off Ugandans to commit crimes, which led to blame being placed on Ugandans, even when they were not involved. Unfortunately, some Ugandans were also found to be involved in this racket,” he added.

Mundeyi noted that a mechanism has been put in place as they collaborate with partners and other countries where this is a common issue, and it was agreed that anyone who has lost their passport must return to Uganda to have it replaced.

The mechanism will ensure a thorough joint investigation and serve as an inconvenience to those who have made it a habit to sell the passports, with a thought of easily replacing them at any Embassy.