The Ministry of Internal Affairs has summoned Rugiirwa Katatumba, son of the late businessman Bonney Katatumba, to clarify the circumstances surrounding his alleged possession of a diplomatic passport.
Rugiirwa Katatumba has previously claimed to be in possession of such a passport, which has sparked further scrutiny.
Speaking on Monday, Simon Mundeyi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, stated that the ministry’s records indicate no diplomatic passport has ever been issued to Rugiirwa.
“Rugiirwa Katatumba applied for an ordinary passport on April 10, 2021, and it was issued in November 2021. This passport is valid until 2031.
“He only replaced a lost passport which was also ordinary because he has never had any positions that would entitle him to a diplomatic passport, Mundeyi explained.
The spokesperson further suggested that the passport recently displayed by Rugiirwa could either belong to someone else or be a counterfeit.
Mundeyi clarified that the only person from the Katatumba family entitled to a diplomatic passport is Gertrude Katatumba, widow of the late Bonney Katatumba, due to her position as the spouse of a diplomat.
“We suspect Rugiirwa might have been displaying Gertrude Katatumba’s passport. We have summoned him to provide clarity on whose diplomatic passport he was holding,” Mundeyi added.
He also emphasized that diplomatic passports are only issued to individuals in specific roles, including government ministers, heads of public service, governors of the Bank of Uganda, justices of the Supreme Court, permanent secretaries, and others authorised by the Minister of Internal Affairs.
