Businessman Rugiirwa Katatumba has failed to account for the legality of his diplomatic passport, which has been circulating on social media. For several days, Rugiirwa has been making headlines after it was revealed that he may be holding a diplomatic passport illegally.
According to sources, Rugiirwa and his twin sister, Angella Katatumba, both acquired diplomatic passports following the death of their father, Bonny Katatumba, who had served as the Honorary Consul of Pakistan in Uganda. After their father’s passing in 2018, Angella allegedly took over his position illegally and facilitated her brother’s acquisition of the diplomatic passport.
However, the High Commission of Pakistan in Nairobi later discredited the Honorary Consulate of Pakistan currently operating in Uganda under Angella Katatumba, calling it “fake, fictitious, and without any legal authority.”
In a letter dated March 13, 2018, and copied to the High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as to diplomatic missions, international organizations, consulates, and the Pakistan Association in Uganda, the commission stated that the so-called Honorary Consulate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Uganda ceased to function following Bonny Katatumba’s death.
When this website reached out to Rugiirwa for an explanation on how he acquired the passport, he could only stammer, dismissing the issue as ‘fake news.’ Despite this, the businessman has been flaunting the passport on social media, displaying it to anyone willing to take notice.
There is growing concern over how Rugiirwa Katatumba, who has been involved in numerous fraud-related scandals, managed to obtain a diplomatic passport. A section of Ugandans is now calling on the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control to clarify who qualifies for this highly coveted travel document.
According to the official website of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (Immigration.go.ug), Rugiirwa does not meet the qualifications required for holding a diplomatic passport. The website states that a diplomatic passport can only be issued to certain individuals, including the President and members of the foreign service.
