The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control of Uganda has launched an e- service portal that aggregates all their services.
Mr Jacob Siminyu, the spokesperson for Internal Affairs ministry, said the aggregated portals used to sit as separate units for visa, passport, and work permits, among other ports.
“We have now launched a consolidated e-service portal where all our services are brought into a single unit, but with multiple payment system. All our services can now be accessed through one website www.immigration.co.ug ,” he said.
Mr Siminyu said Internal Affairs ministry is working closely with other government agencies, including the National Identification Regulatory Authority (Nira), which provide citizens biodata, and the national tax agency, the Uganda Revenue Authority.
Brig Johnson Namanya, the director of Citizenship and Immigration Control, said before the setup, the immigration department used to work on 1,700 passports daily but when Covid-19 came, they reduced the output to 10 percent, and generated a backlog.
“But now that Covid is down, we have to upgrade the system so that we can serve many people and decongest the headquarters. That’s why we are launching this system to accommodate and serve many more people,” he said.
He said the system has all the services that the directorate of citizenship and immigration offers.
“We are combining this system with a call centre and social media platforms such as WhatsApp, and twitter so that all questions are answered, documents processed and an applicant only comes in for biometrics,” he said.
Brig Namanya said the directorate has also decentralised the system with branches in Mbale, Mbarara and Gulu.
This will help people not to move from their regions to Kampala.
“If you apply for a passport, visa, or work permit in Gulu, Mbale or Mbarara, you don’t need to come to Kampala, you get your document in that very region. This will help to decongest the headquarters and serve people diligently without any interference,” he said.
Brig Namanya said the headquarters will only enroll applicants and those picking up their passports shall be required to go to their offices in Kyambogo, at the former premises that housed Face Technologies.
“We are doing this in order to reduce the traffic flow at headquarters and also reduce congestion,” he said.