A multi-billion-shilling National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC) office complex has been commissioned in Arua City. The 2.1 billion shillings structure with equipment investment worth over one billion shillings, constructed by Uganda Security Printing Company, is aimed at easing immigration and passport services in the West Nile region.
The office will, among others, issue ordinary, diplomatic, and service Passports, conventional travel documents for Refugees, a Certificate of Identity (CI) for East Africa and COMESA countries, and Temporary Movement Documents with countries that share land borders with Uganda.
While presiding over the official commissioning and handover of the facility on Wednesday, Beatrice Lagada, the chairperson of the National Citizenship and Immigration Control, who represented the Minister for Internal Affairs General Kahinda Otafiire, urged the people of West Nile to make use of the facility well and avoid misuse of passports.
Lagada also urged the immigration and passport office staff to maintain high integrity and ensure equity in treatment for all Ugandans.
Harrison Ssali, the Regional Immigration Officer for West Nile, called on the leaders of West Nile to cooperate and maintain team spirit and integrity for better service delivery.
Moses Murari, the Acting Chief of the Immigration and Passport Control Office, warned against security jeopardy, citing the closeness of Arua City to DR Congo and South Sudan, which he says may offer temptation for corruption tendencies among the local leaders.
David Kyasanku, the City Clerk of Arua, who also represented the Mayor, commended the government for establishing the regional office in Arua and promised to work with the immigration office to serve the cosmopolitan population of West Nile better.
Alfred Okuonzi, the LC 5 chairman for Arua district and the vice president for local governments in Uganda, described the new immigration and passport office as a big relief for the people of West Nile who have been travelling to Gulu and Kampala to process travel documents. URN