The Ugandan government faces a unique social and regulatory challenge that goes beyond issues of corruption and youth disillusionment – a notable rise in foreign nationals marrying Ugandans, particularly Ugandan women sponsoring their foreign male partners for residency permits.

From the records at the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration, there’s an increasing number of foreign men applying for dependent permits based on marriage to Ugandan women. This has caught the attention of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is concerned by what it describes as a “worrisome trend.”

At a recent security briefing at police headquarters in Naguru, Simon Peter Mundeyi, the ministry’s spokesperson, expressed apprehension over this growing phenomenon. He explained that in traditional African society, it is typically men who are expected to play the role of providers. Allowing foreign men to rely on Ugandan women for residency, he suggested, could not only disrupt these established societal norms but might also affect the country’s broader immigration policy.

The immigration department, alarmed by the rising number of such applications, has issued a caution against the practice. Mundeyi emphasized that the department is now actively monitoring these applications and may implement stricter controls to prevent misuse of dependent permits.