The Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC), has released tough measures to counter bribery and extortion of passengers at Entebbe International Airport.
According to a statement issued by DCIC on Tuesday, January 24, by the Immigration top management in collaboration with various agencies at the airport, the new guidelines aim to ensure that clients receive corruption- and bribery-free services.
The measures stem from the last week’s meeting with all the immigration staff working at the airport, held on Friday, January 20th, 2023.
According to the new guidelines, no employees will be permitted to use a mobile phone while on duty.
“All immigration staff must be in full uniform, complete with names embroidered on shirts. The immigration uniform is made up of a white shirt and forest green trousers for men, a white shirt and forest green skirt for ladies, and PIPs depending on rank and title with three stars and one with a green background for Immigration Officers and Assistants, respectively, who form the bulk of staff deployed at the airport. Senior Immigration Officers’ pips have the logo of the Directorate and one star,” the statement read in part.
According to the guidelines, staff’s access card issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will contain details of the holder’s particulars. The management has also increased staffing by recruiting more senior officers to boost supervision and handle clients’ complaints.
The management urged all travelers to follow guidelines issued by CAA, such as the arrival time of three hours before the time of departure, and not to offer bribes to any staff to evade corruption tendencies.
Last week, social media was flooded with posts by several Ugandans raising concerns about the arrogance, excessive bribery, and extortion done by immigration officers at Entebbe International Airport. They alleged that the officers in question asked for bribes ranging between $100 (Shs380,000) and $1000 (Shs3.8 million) from citizen travelers before clearing them to take flights.
