During the 17th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State held in March 2016, the Presidents launched the new EAC e-Passport and directed that issuance of the passports should take effective 1st January 2017 followed by a phased suspension of the readable East African and National Passports in a period of two years.
MPs have asked government to put in place a detailed plan of phasing out the ordinary passports.
During the 17th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of
State held in March 2016, the Presidents launched the new EAC e-Passport and
directed that issuance of the passports should take effective 1st January 2017
followed by a phased suspension of the readable East African and National
Passports in a period of two years.
Doreen Amule Ruth, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee
on Defense in her report to the house recommended that Government should come
out with a detailed transitional plan to phase out the regular machine-readable
passport for the e-passport.
Amule says several Ugandans acquired new regular passports after paying 100,000 to 400,000 shillings.
She says that the new passports should not hurt the
people, but should actually enhance service delivery. Amule says there have been
numerous complaints on the new passports and how to phase out the old passports.
//Cue in: “There are people…
Cue out:…the new system”
Meanwhile, Parliament has also approved an additional 67 billion
shillings for the purchase of 300,000 blank e-passport booklets.
Government has already signed a contract to provide a Turnkey
solution for an e-Passport System/infrastructure, supply of blank e-Passport
booklets and construction of a fully furnished Personalization Centre at the Internal
Affairs Ministry Headquarters.
According to Internal Affairs Minister Mario Obiga Kania, up to 1,000
passport are issued daily by immigration.
Alex Otto
Freelancer