Abavandimwe blame Dr Lawrence Muganga ministerial rejection on Thomas Tayebwa

• Abavandimwe chairman Frank Gashumba has blamed Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa for the rejection of Dr Lawrence Muganga's ministerial nomination.

• Gashumba claims Muganga had already started the process of renouncing his Canadian citizenship.

• Muganga was rejected over concerns relating to citizenship requirements for ministers.

The Council of Abavandimwe has accused Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa of playing the main role in the rejection of Dr Lawrence Muganga's nomination as State Minister for Internal Affairs.

Parliament's Appointments Committee on Tuesday declined to approve Muganga's appointment by President Yoweri Museveni, on grounds that he had multiple citizenships.

The committee cited provisions of the Citizenship and Immigration Control Act, which bars holders of dual citizenship from occupying certain public offices listed under the Fifth Schedule, including ministerial positions.

Muganga was one of four minister appointees who were alleged to have  more than one citizenship.

The Abavandimwe Council chairman Frank Gashumba said members of the organisation had celebrated the Victoria University vice chancellor's nomination as a major milestone for indigenous Banyarwanda-Ugandans.

"For Muganga, when he was appointed in the Cabinet, we as the Abavandimwe saw it as a big victory for one of us to be appointed minister," Gashumba said.

Gashumba revealed that when questions started emerging about Muganga’s citizenship, he took steps to comply with the law, by renouncing his Canadian citizenship 

"What I know is that he officially wrote to the Canadian Embassy renouncing his Canadian citizenship. He also informed the Citizenship and Immigration Control at the Ministry of Internal Affairs," he said.

Gashumba said the vetting process proceeded smoothly until Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa alleged that Muganda had a third citizenship in Rwanda.

"When he got to parliament, he was informed that he has three citizenships, which is very false. The vetting went well but at the last minute, the Deputy Speaker came out and claimed that Muganga had three citizenships. He claimed he had a report on this. Yet it was only him who had the report. No other committee member had seen it."

Gashumba further alleged that neither he nor other interested parties had been allowed to review the report.

"We have asked to see that report but no one has seen it; only Thomas Tayebwa."

The Deputy Speaker’s report, Gashumba says, is believed to have come from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Yet, he says, the Ministry is known to be “filled with people who hate us.”

Speaking to reporters shortly after the vetting session, Muganga acknowledged holding Ugandan and Canadian citizenship but denied claims that he was a citizen of Rwanda.

"Ndi Munyarwanda and Banyarwanda are among the tribes in Uganda. That is a simple fact. I'm not Rwandan. Before I came here, I had two citizenships — that's the Ugandan and the Canadian citizenship."

Gashumba argued that Muganga had been treated differently from other appointees.

The Appointments Committee has not released detailed reasons for its decision beyond concerns relating to citizenship requirements under Ugandan law.