The Ugandan Directorate of Immigration is currently facing a critical storage challenge due to a significant backlog of unclaimed passports. Across five key centers situated in Kampala, Jinja, Gulu, Mbarara, and Mbale, more than 50,000 passports, dating as far back as 2018, remain uncollected.

Simon Mudenyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has highlighted the severity of the issue. The sheer volume of unclaimed passports has resulted in a storage crunch, impeding the Directorate’s capacity to process new applications efficiently.

A major hurdle exacerbating the situation is the difficulty in communication. Many passport holders are unreachable due to inactive phone numbers or failed attempts at delivering messages. This communication breakdown has significantly hampered efforts to notify individuals about their unclaimed passports. Moreover, the recent addition of 2,000 unclaimed passports from 2024 has further exacerbated the backlog. To address this issue and facilitate future processing endeavors, the public is strongly urged to collect their passports in a timely manner. Mudenyi stresses that the process for claiming passports is simple and encourages holders to come forward promptly.

Efforts are underway within the Directorate of Immigration to improve communication channels and expedite the retrieval of unclaimed passports. However, immediate action is essential to alleviate resource strain and prevent further escalation of the situation.