Immigration officials have denied reports that they deported a Rwandan to Tanzania.

Furaha Sahini alias Mugisha, was deported last Saturday by the Immigration and Emigration Department for having fraudulently acquired identity documents, thereby staying in the country illegally.

"When he was handed over to Tanzanian authorities, they interviewed him and he confirmed he was a Tanzanian from Ngara. The immigration officials verified his identity and were satisfied; otherwise they would not have accepted him,” said Anaclet Kalibata, the Director General of Immigration and Emigration Department.

Authorities also described as baseless media reports that suggest Sahini is a Rwandan who had lived as a refugee in Tanzania before returning home in 1994.

Documents available to The New Times indicate that Furaha Sahini, who had changed his names to Furaha Mugisha was born on December 27, 1972 in Nyamiyaga, Ngara District.

They identify his father, Gerard Sahini as having been born in Ngara district and comes from the Hangaza tribe. His mother, Mrs Juliana Ruboha Sahini, is a Haya who was born in Muleba.

The family live at a place known as Mukanywampenzi. "The process of acquiring citizenship is very clear as stipulated in the Nationality act and Furaha went through it,” Kalibata explained.

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