Report on Citizenship Law: Uganda 3.2.5. Marriage A person married to a Ugandan citizen is entitled to register as a citizen after three years of marriage (Constitution, Article 12(2)(a); UCICA, Article 14(2)(a). 3.2.6 Re-acquisition of Ugandan citizenship Reacquisition of citizenship was possible under the 1995 Constitution for a Ugandan citizen who had lost citizenship due to the acquisition of another, and requires the renunciation of that citizenship in order to reacquire Ugandan citizenship (Article 15(4)). This provision was later repealed in the 2005 Amendments which granted the right to maintain dual nationality (reference section 3.4 of this report for further elaboration). The Constitution further qualifies that in the case the law of another country requires a person to renounce the citizenship of their origin country, for example in the case of acquisition of citizenship through marriage, a former citizen of Uganda has the right to reacquire their Ugandan citizenship upon the dissolution of that marriage (Article 15(5)). The UCICA as amended in 2009, further specifies the reacquisition of Ugandan citizenship through two key provisions. According to Article 19G, “(1) a person who was a citizen of Uganda by birth and who on acquiring the citizenship of another country renounced his or her Ugandan citizenship, may apply to the [National Citizenship and Immigration Board] in the prescribed manner to re-acquire his or her former Ugandan citizenship” and further notes “(2) The board may allow a former Ugandan citizen to reacquire his or her Ugandan citizenship if it is satisfied that the grounds for the loss of his and her Ugandan citizenship are of no adverse effect to the public order and security of Uganda.” 3.3. Loss and deprivation of citizenship The parameters by which citizenship is lost (by operation of law) or deprived (by act of the executive) are set by the Constitution and by the UCICA 1999. 3.3.1. Voluntary renunciation of citizenship A Ugandan citizen may voluntarily renounce her or his citizenship, provided that he or she has acquired citizenship of another country, by declaration to the National Citizenship and Immigration Board, and the request must be formally registered by the Board. (UCICA, Section 20(1)). The Board may refuse to do so if the declaration is made during a period of war with a foreign country, or “if in the opinion of the board it is otherwise contrary to public policy” (Section 20(2)). 3.3.2. Loss of citizenship The original versions of the Constitution and of the UCICA, prior to the amendments of 2005 and 2009 which allowed for dual nationality, provided for automatic loss of citizenship by birth by any person who retained or voluntarily acquired another citizenship after majority (except through marriage), and similarly for citizens by birth or registration (Constitution 1995, Articles 13-15; UCICA 1999, Sections17-19). These provisions were repealed or amended when the absolute prohibition on dual citizenship was ended, as discussed below. RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/8 - © 2020 Author 9