The Appointments Committee of parliament has rejected the nomination of Victoria University Vice chancellor, Dr. Lawrence Muganga, for the position of State Minister of Internal Affairs over concerns regarding his citizenship status.
The committee declined to approve his appointment after he reportedly failed to satisfy members that he would renounce any foreign citizenships he may hold. Questions were raised about his alleged Canadian and Rwandan citizenships, alongside his Ugandan nationality.
Dr. Muganga was among 81 ministerial nominees vetted by Parliament following President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni‘s announcement of the Cabinet for the 2026–2031 term.
His nomination immediately attracted scrutiny over whether he was eligible to serve as a minister under Uganda’s citizenship laws.
According to the Appointments Committee, the Citizenship and Immigration Act bars individuals holding dual citizenship from occupying certain senior government positions listed under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. These positions include the President, Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State.
Reports indicate that Dr.Muganga holds Canadian citizenship and has also faced allegations of possessing Rwandan nationality, in addition to the Ugandan passport he acquired in 2021.
During the vetting process, Dr.Muganga reportedly expressed willingness to renounce his Canadian citizenship but strongly denied claims that he is a Rwandan national.
“I am Munyarwanda by tribe, not Rwandese by nationality. Banyarwanda are among the tribes in Uganda. There is a difference between being Munyarwanda and Rwandese,” Muganga told reporters.
He added that although he previously held Canadian citizenship, he has always considered himself Ugandan, having been born and raised in Mukono District.
“I was born in Mukono, raised in Mukono, and that is where I will be buried,” he reportedly said.
Muganga’s previous employment with the Rwanda Revenue Authority and earlier references identifying him as Rwandan have continued to fuel questions about his nationality.
In 2021, immigration authorities arrested Muganga at Victoria University over allegations related to overstaying and suspected espionage during a period of heightened diplomatic tensions between Uganda and Rwanda. He was later released without charge.
At the time, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control said Muganga needed to clarify how he acquired foreign citizenship and whether he had properly regularized his Ugandan nationality.
The rejection of Muganga’s nomination adds a legal and political twist to the formation of President Museveni’s new Cabinet, underscoring the strict interpretation and application of Uganda’s citizenship laws for senior public office holders.
