The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has received 2,700 kits for its National Identification Card Mass Renewal and Registration exercise. This comes after the arrival of the second batch of 1,700 kits on Monday, following the first shipment on December 28. A total of 5,665 kits are required for the exercise.
NIRA has indicated that more equipment will be arriving soon as preparations intensify for the commencement of both the National ID Mass Enrollment and Mass Renewal campaigns.
In parallel, NIRA is conducting training for technical staff who will oversee the exercise. The recruitment process for field staff is also underway at the District and City levels, with 10,594 Registration Assistants and 2,184 Subcounty Supervisors set to be hired by the respective Service Commissions.
NIRA views the arrival of these kits as a key milestone in the journey toward launching the initiative. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed that the shipment aligns with the set timelines.
The hands-on training for technical staff began Monday, focusing on enhancing staff competency in citizenship identification, as well as in the accurate registration and issuance of national ID cards. This training will be expanded to the parish level across the country.
The new National ID cards and renewals will be provided free of charge. However, a lost ID will cost Shs50,000 to replace, while a defaced ID will incur a 200,000-shilling fee. NIRA has also urged holders of expired IDs to renew them promptly, warning that late renewal could incur penalties of up to Shs40,000 per day of delay.
For Ugandans aged 18 and above who have not registered for a National ID, an introduction letter signed by the LC 1 Chairperson and stamped by the Internal Security Officers is required. This letter must include the applicant’s personal details, such as name, date of birth, tribe, clan, nationality, and the names, tribes, clans, nationalities, and living status of their parents.
Applicants under 18 years old must provide a photocopy of at least one parent’s National ID card or the National ID card of a deceased parent’s blood relative.
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NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo shared that the National Identification Register currently holds records for 27.4 million registered citizens, with 6.3 million (22.1%) in the 0-17 age bracket. The Ministry and NIRA aim to enroll 17.2 million unregistered Ugandans and renew the IDs of 15.8 million Ugandans within the 2024/25 financial year.
Mass registration, renewal, and issuance of new National IDs are expected to begin in February.
