By URN
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has so far received 2,700 National Identification Card Mass Renewal and Registration exercise kits, out of the required 5,665.
This follows the arrival of the second batch on Monday, containing 1,700 kits. The first consignment was received on December 28.
NIRA says the arrival of more equipment is expected in due course, “as we soar nigh to the commencement” of the National ID Mass Enrollment and National ID Mass Renewal.”
The equipment has arrived at the time that the agency is conducting the training of technical staff who will implement the exercise.
The recruitment of field staff is also ongoing at the District and City level by the respective Service Commissions and will see about 10,594 Registration Assistants and 2,184 Subcounty Supervisors recruited.
NIRA says the arrival of the kits is a fundamental milestone in their journey to the realisation of the project’s commencement.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Gen Joseph Musanyufu says the shipment meets the timelines.
Hands-on training of technical staff commenced Monday and aims at enhancing staff with competence skills, useful in citizenship identification to accurately register for and issuance of national ID cards.
The training exercise is expected to be rolled out at parish level country-wide.
The issuance of the new ID and the renewal of current ones will be done free of cost, while a lost ID will cost 50,000 shillings to replace.
However, a defaced ID will be replaced for 200,000 shillings.
NIRA appealed to all current holders of expired IDs to use the specified time for renewal because late renewal of a National ID will cost up to 40,000 shillings per day of default.
All Ugandan citizens 18 years and above, who have never registered for National Identity Cards and seek to register for one will be required to present an introduction letter signed by the LC 1 Chairperson, stamped by the Internal Security Officers.
The letter of introduction will indicate the applicant’s name, date of birth, tribe, clan, and nationality; indicate parents’ names, tribes, clans, nationality, and living status.
Applicants who are below the age of 18 years will be required to present a photocopy of at least one of the parent’s National ID Card or a copy of the National ID Card of a blood relative, where both parents are deceased.
There are 27.4 million registered persons in the National Identification Register, with those in the age bracket 0-17 years being 6.3 million or about 22.1 percent, according to NIRA Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, out of the total population of about 46 million.
She says the Ministry and NIRA hope, through the Mass Enrolment and Renewal Exercise, to enrol 17.2 million unregistered Ugandans and renew the National ID Cards of 15.8 million Ugandans within the 2024/25 financial year.
Mass renewal, registration and issuance of the national identity cards are expected to commence in February but are awaiting the setting of a date by the Minister who will flag off the exercise.
