KAMPALA – Ugandans from upcountry areas will no longer have to travel to Kampala to process their E-passports after the Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed plans to establish the processes at its regional centres.
Currently, online applicants processing for a passport can only complete the application process at ministry headquarters in Kampala. However, this has led to long queues, resulting in frustration for many applicants.
But on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Citizenship and Passport, Mr Johnson Namanya, said by March, their centres in Mbale, Mbarara and Gulu districts will be able to receive applicants’ details for passports.
Namanya said the online platform, which was launched in December 2019, has been embraced by Ugandans, with as many as 1,000 applications being received daily.
He added that online application is quicker since an applicant doesn’t need to get recommendation from local leaders as it were initially. The system is integrated with the National Identity Registration Authority-NIRA and National Identity Technology Authority- NITA-U.
Namanya said the government will also extend the E-passport services to missions abroad for Ugandans who need for instance to renew passports. The services will be rolled out in May in London in the UK, Washington in USA, Pretoria in South Africa Copenhagen in Denmark, Abu Dhabi in UAE and Ottawa in Canada.
