By Jumah Kakomo
The Banyarwanda living in Uganda under their umbrella body “the Uganda Banyarwanda Cultural Development Association (UMUBANO) have suspended with immediate effect a renowned Frank Gashumba from talking about the Banyarwanda affairs in Uganda.
This decision was made on Tuesday at Kampala during an emergency meeting convened by the Uganda Banyarwanda Cultural Development Association (UMUBANO), the umbrella organization representing the Banyarwanda community in Uganda. The chairperson of the UMUBANO Task Force, Simon Kaiyitana, says Gashumba’s statements and actions are deemed to misrepresent the Banyarwanda community’s interests and values.
“Gashumba is barred from speaking on behalf of the Banyarwanda community in Uganda, his opinions and statements on Banyarwanda affairs will not be recognized or validated,” Simon stated,”. He emphasized that their identity as Banyarwanda will not change.
Many Banyarwanda members expressed relief, feeling that Gashumba’s suspension would bring an end to divisive rhetoric, and the community reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective decision-making. By suspending Frank Gashumba, the Banyarwanda community seeks to reclaim its narrative, promote unity, and ensure that its interests are represented accurately and responsibly.
According to Simon, they plan to petition President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to address their concerns, including scheduling meetings with the leaderships of all Kingdoms and cultural institutions of Uganda beginning with Buganda Kingdom, Bunyoro kingdom, Busoga kingdom among others to gather support for their proposed law, “The Banyarwanda and other roving communities, citizenship, identification and management bill, 2024.
The Chairman UMUBANO, Donat Kananura says this will facilitate the right to citizenship, identification, certification, management and protection of the dignity of the Banyarwanda, and they will also meet the European Union representatives in Uganda, the British and United Nations and United States Ambassadors, and the donor community over the same matter,” Simon added.
Meanwhile, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, UMUBANO’s legal advisor, highlighted that over 6 million Kinyarwanda-speaking people in Uganda are currently stateless due to constitutional provisions under Article 10.
He proposes amending Article 10(a), introduce “Jus soli” principle of international law on citizenship by birth for all persons born in Uganda while maintaining the Jus Sanguinis principle already applied under the law, amend the immigration law “mutatis mutandis” introduce freedom of access to citizenship rights through proper management, certification, identification, recognition and equal opportunities for both roving and handed borderline ethnic groups among others to rectify this issue.
