Government starts biometric refugee registration following scam

Government has launched biometric refugee verification exercise at Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Mbarara District following a recent refugee scam in which huge sums of money were swindled.

The Office of the Prime Minister was hit with a fresh scandal involving creating ghost refugees whose money was embezzled by officials from refugee office of the OPM and United Nation High Commission for Refugees(UNHCR).

Addressing refugees, Douglas Asiimwe, the Officer in Charge of Refugee Protection in the Office of the Prime Minister explained that government was using UNHCR’s advanced registration tools to improve refugee data.

“The exercise follows a directive by the Prime Minister to authenticate the data contained in the government’s refugee registration system,” he said.

“It will help us to ensure that we have credible information to protect and assist refugees effectively and efficiently.”

He said that by collecting fingerprints, scanning eyes, and recording information about refugees’ vulnerabilities, government and partners will be in a better position to ensure that only those who are deserving are protected and assisted.

Bornwell Kantande, the UNHCR representative commended the show of goodwill by the government, which he said demonstrates commitment towards ensuring responsibility and accountability in the refugee response.

“This verification exercise will benefit you and your families,” he told the refugees.

“Your children and the children in host communities must go to school. Elderly people, too, must be supported.”

The World Food Program country Director, El Khidir Daloum said by conducting the exercise, government is making a milestone step and proving to the international community that its delivering accountably to all the refugees.

“It will equip us to deliver food to the right people and leave no one behind,”Daloum said.

Oruchinga is home to 6,852 registered refugees.

The current government statistics show Uganda is hosting 1.4 million refugees most of whom come from South Sudan.

Recently, the minister for Disaster Preparedness and refugees, Hilary Onek said government feels betrayed by the acts of its officials to divert money and other resources meant for the unprivileged people like refugees.

 

“We are offended by these acts and whoever is involved is a heartless criminal,” Onek told journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.

According to Onek, government’s internal audit mechanisms before they got reports from donors indicated that officials had inflated the number of refugees and were gaining from the non- existent numbers and minted millions of money.

President Museveni recently warned that refugees are not only for compassion but also a policy to increase the country’s friends before warning officials from the Office of the Prime Minister involved in squandering money meant for refugees will face the wrath of the law.

“Those stealing refugee money will go to jail. Luzira is waiting for them,”Museveni said during a press conference at the Kawumu demonstration farm in Luweero district.

Consequently, Apollo Kazungu, the Commissioner in charge of refugees in the Office of the prime Minister and three other officials were suspended pending investigations.

Speaking about the matter, Musa Echweru, State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness said zero tolerance to corruption will not be just a mere slogan but put into practice.

“If it means handcuffing some people, we will do it,”Echweru said in reference to the recent refugee scam involving officials from the Office of Prime Minister.