Malawi's Minister of Homeland Security, Kenneth Zikhale Ng'oma, has taken immediate action to revoke the citizenship of 396 individuals from Rwanda and Burundi. The decision was made due to suspicions surrounding the dubious manner in which they obtained their naturalization papers. This development follows the recent announcement by the Malawian government that investigations have been launched into how Fulgence Kayishema, who is accused of being inolved in the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, managed to obtain a Malawi passport between 2017 and 2018 under the name Positani Chikuse. ALSO READ: How Genocide fugitive Kayishema changed identity to elude capture The revocation of citizenship is in accordance with the country's laws, with a focus on maintaining public order and security. Minister Ng'oma emphasized that this decision is also aligned with the court ruling in the case of the Republic vs Uladi Mussa and others, identified as Criminal Case Number 2 of 2017. The Ministry's Public relations officer Patrick Botha further revealed that law enforcement agencies will work together to promptly deport the affected individuals, in compliance with the law. The government of Malawi, under Minister Ng'oma's guidance, intends to review and revoke Malawian citizenship for individuals who failed to adhere to the legal procedures established for obtaining citizenship. ALSO READ: UN chief says Genocide fugitive Kayishema’s apprehension sends powerful message The exact means through which these individuals acquired their citizenship statuses remains unclear, as well as the consequences they will face following the revocation. However, this move demonstrates Malawi's commitment to ensuring that citizenship is granted only to those who meet the necessary requirements, as reported by local media sources. Meanwhile, the Malawian government and its security agencies are actively rounding up refugees and asylum seekers who lack proper authorization to stay in Malawi. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Malawi currently hosts approximately 53,000 refugees and asylum seekers.
