By Johnson Kanyesige
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has launched the mass enrollment exercise, after months of delays, with the first batch of those to receive the service expected to be its own top leadership and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, leaving the ordinary Ugandans waiting.
The country’s first batch of cards was issued between 2014 and 2015, while some expired in August 2024, and another batch of the cards will expire in August 2025.
During the ongoing exercise, Nira plans to renew up to 15.8 million cards that are set to expire in August this year.
The entity also says it targets to register 17.2 million new ones, bringing the total up to 33 million Ugandans.
Gen David Muhoozi, the state minister for internal affairs, while launching the exercise yesterday, said currently the National Identification Register contains biographic and biometric records of 27.7 million Ugandans, including those whose identity cards are set to expire by August this year.
“In August 2022, the Cabinet approved the mass enrollment and renewal exercise to renew a total of 15.8 million cuts that are expiring in June 2025. It is important to note that many have already expired” he said.
Gen Muhoozi said the government has procured up to 5,665 biometric registration kits from Tahaluf Al Emarat Technical Solutions, which the company delivered in January. He said the equipment had already been distributed countrywide on February 25.
He also said the government procured two-card production machines with a combined printing capacity of up to 100,000 laser-engraved cards per day, which were delivered in March.
The Minister said during this process, the identity cards will be issued to those who have clocked 16 years and above, and a NIN allocated to new registrations of persons who have never registered before.
Mr Muhoozi said while those who have never been registered before and those whose identity cards have expired will be issued the cards for free, those who want to change particulars and those whose identity cards have been lost will have to part with money.
