Rugiirwa Katatumba, who is fallen tycoon Bonny Katatumba’s twin son and heir, has been summoned by the Internal Affairs Ministry.
He was summoned to explain the circumstances under which he allegedly acquired a diplomatic passport.
Lately, there has been a public outrage over how ordinary Ugandans are acquiring diplomatic passports, through dubious means.
Internal Affairs Spokesperson, Simon Mundeyi on Monday said their records show Rugiirwa has never been issued with a diplomatic passport.
“We have never issued a diplomatic passport to Rugiirwa Katatumba. On April 10, 2021, he applied for an ordinary passport, which he received in November 2021 from our passport office in Kyambogo, and it expires in 2031. We therefore want him to come to explain how he got a diplomatic passport, as he alleges,” Mundeyi said.
Rugiirwa applied for a new passport in 2021 to replace his lost ordinary passport, according to the spokesperson for Internal Affairs.
Commenting on the diplomatic passport that Rugiirwa displayed recently, the Internal Affairs spokesperson said it could have been for someone else or a fake one.
He, however, said that the only person issued with a diplomatic passport in the Katatumba family is Gertrude Katatumba in her capacity as a wife to a diplomat (late Bonney Katatumba).
Mundeyi, however, opined that it is highly possible that Rugiirwa was only displaying Gertrude Katatumba’s diplomatic passport.
“We therefore want him to come and explain whose diplomatic passport he was holding. We want to inform the public that not every Ugandan is entitled to acquiring a diplomatic passport.”
Mundeyi said only ministers or their wives, heads of public service, the governor of BoU and his deputy, chancellors and vice chancellors of public universities, Justices of the Supreme, Court of Appeal, and High Court, permanent secretaries, heads of permanent commissions, heads of religious and cultural institutions and any other person as allowed by the Internal Affairs Minister are allowed to have diplomatic passports.
