Dr. Muganga's book reveals parents fled Rwanda to Uganda in 1959

Dr. Lawrence Muganga, appointed as State Minister for Internal Affairs, has found himself at the center of a citizenship debate. His own book, published in 2018, provides context to his background, stating his parents, members of the Tutsi population, sought refuge in Uganda in 1959 due to ethnic violence in Rwanda.

“I was born, raised and educated in Uganda where my parents fled from the ethnic violence in Rwanda in 1959. As members of the Tutsi population, my parents felt oppressed in Rwanda, yet were accepted by the government of Uganda,” Dr. Muganga penned in his book, “You Can’t Make ‘Fish Climb Trees.’”

This revelation comes as Dr. Muganga was rejected by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, which questioned his claim to sole Ugandan citizenship. While he has denied holding dual citizenship with Rwanda and Canada, his book describes his early life as a “refugee student” in Uganda. He notes his parents returned to Rwanda in 1996, and he followed them after graduating from Makerere University. He later obtained a Rwandan passport, then a Canadian one, and eventually returned to Uganda. He stated he informed Ugandan immigration officials about his dual Ugandan and Canadian citizenship in 2024, after returning to Uganda in 2019. He claims to have subsequently renounced his Rwandan citizenship to satisfy Ugandan requirements.

Contradictions have also been noted regarding his birthplace; he mentioned Butaleja District in an interview, while his Ugandan passport states Mukono District, where his parents are buried. His journey includes various roles in Rwanda and academic pursuits that led him to Canada for his PhD and citizenship. He asserts his acquisition of dual citizenship was not illegal.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)