By The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has blamed the delay in the mass enrolment and renewal exercise for National Identity Cards (IDs) due to technical challenges and prolonged staff recruitment processes nationwide. NIRA’s Executive Director, Ms. Rosemary Kisembo, stated that while funding has been secured, the procurement of necessary equipment and the hiring of personnel have extended the timeline. She anticipates the exercise will commence by the end of July 2024.
“We received the money but there is a process to do the work like getting the contractor and purchasing the machines. This kind of process can delay the main process (mass registration) but I think it should start by next month.” Ms Rose Kisembo said
The government released Shs 366.85 billion to NIRA which is meant to develop a system and operate the mass enrolment exercise and renewal of National Identification Cards to Ugandans, which had been promised to start in June last year but until today, the exercise has not kicked off.
The initial batch of National IDs, issued between 2014 and 2015 with a ten-year validity, is set to expire between August 2024 and June 2025. To address this, the government amended the Registration of Persons Regulations in August 2024, extending the validity of all National IDs by an additional year, effectively making them valid for 11 years from their date of issuance. This extension aims to ensure that citizens can continue accessing essential services without disruption.
NIRA had earlier in 2024 outlined a comprehensive timeline for the enrolment activities. From October 20 to November 15, 2024, was meant for the installation and configuration of new hardware for the NIRA data centre. Subsequent phases included the arrival and distribution of registration kits, staff training, and the upgrading of card printing equipment. The mass registration exercise was expected to extend up to January 2025 however this hasn’t commenced to date with various extensions taking shape.
To facilitate this extensive exercise, NIRA plans to recruit approximately 11,000 temporary staff across the country. These personnel will be responsible for enrolment, data entry, and ensuring that citizens receive their renewed IDs.
The National ID serves multiple critical functions, including facilitating cross-border travel within the East African Community, voter identification in elections, access to financial services, and employment verification in both public and private sectors. An expired ID may hinder these activities, underscoring the importance of the renewal exercise
Ms. Kisembo acknowledged the challenges posed by the delays and assured the public that NIRA is committed to conducting the registration exercise successfully within the revised timelines. She emphasized that measures are being implemented to mitigate any disadvantages to the public due to these delays.
Citizens are encouraged to stay informed about the forthcoming registration schedules and to participate promptly once the exercise begins to ensure continued access to services that require valid identification.
