Rwanda has formally approved the renunciation of Rwandan citizenship by Dr Lawrence Muganga, bringing to a close an issue that became the centre of controversy during his failed nomination as Uganda’s State Minister for Internal Affairs.
A notice published in the Rwanda Official Gazette on July 24, 2026 by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration said Dr Muganga had voluntarily renounced his Rwandan nationality.
“The person mentioned below has voluntarily renounced Rwandan nationality,” the notice stated, identifying him as “MUGANGA Lawrence, son of Kayonga Leonard and Mukamafizi Immaculate, born in Mukono, Uganda, on 14/02/1976.”
The publication completes Rwanda’s legal process of renunciation more than two years after Dr Muganga swore a statutory declaration in Kampala seeking to relinquish his Rwandan citizenship.
Dr Muganga stated in the declaration, sworn on May 17, 2024, that he acquired Rwandan citizenship after relocating there following his graduation from Makerere University. He said he obtained a Rwandan national identity card and passport because they were required for employment opportunities he sought at the time.
Dr Muganga further stated that after moving to Canada in 2009 for further studies, his Rwandan passport expired in 2014 and he subsequently returned both the passport and his national identity card to the Rwandan authorities.
“I am voluntarily renouncing my Rwandese citizenship and all my allegiance to the Republic of Rwanda and the Rwandese Government,” the declaration read in part, adding that he had already handed over his passport and national identity card.
The latest gazette notice confirms that Rwanda accepted and finalized the renunciation on July 24, 2026.
The development comes months after Dr Muganga publicly disputed claims that he held Rwandan citizenship during the controversy surrounding his nomination as Uganda’s State Minister for Internal Affairs.
Parliament’s Appointments Committee eventually rejected his nomination on grounds that he held multiple citizenships and had not provided documentary evidence that he had commenced the formal renunciation process when he appeared before the committee.
Following the rejection, the matter was referred back to President Museveni as the appointing authority. The President has since nominated Juma Witonze Kisekka to replace Dr Muganga as State Minister for Internal Affairs.
Dr Muganga is is a Ugandan-Canadian scholar, author, and education reformist. As Vice Chancellor of Victoria University Kampala, he has transformed the institution from under 200 students to over 6,000 — pioneering authentic learning and establishing East Africa’s first VR/AR Learning Hub.
He graduated with a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts. He holds a Master in Education specialising in Adult Education plus a PhD in Educational Administration and Leadership from University of Alberta Canada. He holds a dual citizenship of Uganda and Canada.
