According to the International Affairs Spokesperson’ Simon Peter Mundeyi’, Ugandans will no need to make their urgent plans to delay processing passports.
Furthermore, Mundeyi stated that they took this step in order to reduce the long and heavy queues of people at the Passport Office in Kyambogo.
The speaker of the Internal Affairs made these all remarks when he was addressing journalists on Monday, March 21, 2022, during his joint security press conference at the Naguru Police headquarters.
Mundeyi stated, “I call upon Ugandans who don’t have a journey to postpone processing passports to avoid long queues.”
Mundeyi also stated that Ugandans should stop travelling from other regions only for their passport process in Kampala, saying that they should use their regional offices in their areas.
“Passports issued in the provincial passport centres are not cheap. If you are in Western, operate through Mbarara office, those in East, use Mbale and Jinja that are coming up and those in Northern, Gulu,” Mundeyi added.
His remarks come at that time when stakeholders are complaining already about the issue of long queues at the Passport Office, despite several changes in the immigration department.
Mundeyi said that the long queues have definitely cast them in a “bad light” and urged those with no urgent need for passports to wait.
According to Mundeyi, “Some people are in worry after our announcement that the deadline of the old passports is in April. Therefore we shall stop issuing new passports, so they are all coming at once; no, we shall continue issuing the new blue passports even after April.”
The Department of Immigration declared earlier this year that the old black passports would be phased out in April this year. Mundeyi said that the announcement is the ultimate cause of the long queues as people rush to get new passports before the deadline.
He also requested the public to make an appointment first and then visit any passport office. It will definitely avoid the long queues.
“Only make a trip to the ministry of Internal Affairs if you have an appointment or if you are in dire need of documents. Congestion is casting us in a bad light,” he said.
