By The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has acquired a new batch of advanced card printing machines to enhance the efficiency of Uganda’s National ID mass renewal exercise. Each of the four high-tech machines has the capacity to produce up to 3,000 national IDs per hour, significantly reducing processing time.
According to NIRA Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, the mass enrolment and renewal exercise aims to address the large number of expired IDs while also capturing millions of unregistered Ugandans. “Currently, only 27.4 million Ugandans are registered out of a total population of 45.9 million, leaving between 17 to 18 million citizens without identification,” she stated.
The mass registration effort will also accommodate the 1.5 million new Ugandans born annually, as per Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) data. Kisembo emphasized the urgency of accelerating the process, noting that at the current pace of one million registrations per year, it would take 17 years to register all eligible citizens.
Uganda’s first batch of national identity cards was issued between 2014 and 2015. Since national IDs have a 10-year validity period, approximately 15.8 million cards are set to expire by August 2025. While the government has extended the expiry period by one year, the forthcoming mass exercise aims to renew these IDs and incorporate advanced security features for better identification.
To support the process, NIRA has also received over 5,000 registration kits, which have been instrumental in training Registration Assistants and Officers. These kits, along with the new printing machines, are expected to streamline the exercise, which will be conducted at the parish level nationwide.
“This latest shipment aligns with NIRA’s commitment to providing timely and reliable identification services. With the technological advancements, we are well-positioned to ensure a smooth and efficient ID renewal process,” NIRA said in a statement.
The upcoming mass registration is one of Uganda’s largest national identification efforts, aiming to provide secure and updated IDs to millions while improving service delivery and national security.
