The battle over Dr. Lawrence Muganga is getting hotter.
Just days after Parliament declined to clear him for appointment as State Minister for Internal Affairs, Muganga has come out swinging, rejecting allegations surrounding his citizenship status and accusing powerful figures of unfairly targeting him.
In a strongly worded public statement, Muganga insisted he does not hold a Rwandan passport and described claims against him as false. He further alleged that his rejection had been decided long before he entered the vetting room, arguing that the process was not about qualifications or integrity but something much deeper.
The controversy erupted after Parliament's Appointments Committee raised concerns about Muganga's citizenship history, particularly his previous links to Canadian and Rwandan citizenship. The committee reportedly wanted proof that any foreign citizenships had been formally renounced before approving him for the sensitive Internal Affairs docket.
Muganga maintains that he is Ugandan by birth and says he had already begun the process of renouncing his Canadian citizenship. He also argues that he no longer possesses active citizenship ties to Rwanda.
The fallout has now sparked a wider national debate about citizenship, eligibility for public office, and whether the vetting process was conducted fairly. While Muganga's supporters say he has been treated unjustly, critics insist the issue is purely about compliance with Uganda's laws governing senior government appointments.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Uganda Law Society has urged the public not to frame legal scrutiny as tribalism, racism, or anti-Rwandan sentiment, insisting that constitutional requirements must be respected regardless of an individual's profile or popularity.
With Muganga promising further evidence to support his claims and public interest growing by the day, this political showdown appears far from over. The coming days could determine whether the celebrated academic's ministerial ambitions are revived or permanently derailed.