Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Hundreds of passport applicants have reported being defrauded by con artists operating outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ immigration offices on Port Bell Road.
Cases have been registered at both Wampewo Police Post and Jinja Road Police Station, highlighting the extent of the scam.
According to Simon Peter Mundeyi, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC), these fraudsters can collect up to three million shillings in a single day by deceiving applicants into paying for unnecessary passport photos.
One such victim, Juliet Okrut, a private security guard, nearly missed her scheduled passport appointment after being misled by these fraudsters. Okrut, along with over 80 others, was removed from the queue by individuals claiming they needed passport photos before entering the immigration premises. They were then directed to City Abattoir to obtain the photos, an unnecessary and costly detour.
“When we went to get the passport photos, we found many others and we had to queue up to get help. By the time I got the passport photos, it was almost late. I was however shocked that I did not need the passport photos to process my passport because my pictures were taken by immigration officers,” Okrut said.
Okrut explained that when she finally returned to the immigration offices, the officials informed her that it was too late. Desperate, she pleaded for leniency, explaining that it was the only day off she had been granted by her employer.
“They asked me what had delayed me and I told them I was processing the passport photos. I was told that they did not need them yet I had spent 10,000 shillings and lost a lot of time,” she added.
Mr. Mundeyi revealed that just last week, fraudsters managed to pull over 300 passport applicants from the queues and directed them to the City Abattoir to have their passport photos taken, despite the fact that these photos were unnecessary. This tactic not only frustrates applicants but also causes them to miss their scheduled appointment times.
“Fraudsters are now applying scaremongering tactics. They tell them that without passports you’ll never get a passport. They move around telling applicants that they need passport photos. They see people lining up and they recently horded over 300 all to the Abattoir and charged them each 10,000 shillings for passport photos which we do not need,” Mr. Mundeyi said.
The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) stated that since the introduction of electronic passports, applicants are no longer required to provide their own passport photos. Instead, the immigration officers take the photos themselves to ensure uniformity in photo resolution and adherence to required features.
“We want to urge those who are not informed that ever since we started issuing electronic passports, photos have been taken by our officers in the passport centres using hi-tech cameras. We have state-of-the-art cameras that take photographs accepted by our system. You do not need to carry the physical form bearing passport photos,” Mr. Mundeyi said.
Applicants are advised to always keep track of their application ID numbers and appointment dates. There’s no need to bring payment receipts, as once an application is completed online and an appointment is scheduled, it confirms that the required fee has already been paid.
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“We do not require you to come with a physical national ID. If you can tell us your NIN that is enough. The passport application system is integrated with NIRA and URA. You do not need to come with the payment receipt. The system will flag your name if you have not paid. You will not be able to get an appointment if you have not paid,” Mr. Mundeyi added.
To combat the activities of fraudsters, the DCIC has decided to deploy undercover officers to protect unsuspecting applicants from being scammed by individuals posing as immigration officials.
Last year, over 200 people were arrested and charged for defrauding passport applicants.
