Over 10.6 million national IDs have been renewed and 2.4 million new registrations completed as Uganda marks International ID Day.
NIRA hosts Members of Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA),takes them through their operations at Kololo.
A group Photo of UPPA Members with the staff of NIRA after the engament.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMAUpdates.
In blue dress:Manager Legal -Kezaabu Brenda,Vincent Katutsi- commissioner Civil Registration
Katinti Christopher- Ag ED and substantively Director ICT,Ollama Claire-Registrar|Project communication,Bagwa Godfrey-Head HR.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Katinti Christopher- Ag ED and substantively Director ICT with UPPA President Sam Ibanda chat after the media engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Vincent Katutsi- commissioner Civil Registration with UPPA President Sam Ibanda chat after the media engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
UPPA President Sam Ibanda Mugabi delivering his remarks during the media engagement with NIRA Officials.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Claire Ollama,the Entity Spokesperson with her colleagues Manager Legal -Kezaabu Brenda,Okwalinga,Vincent Katutsi and Christopher Kantinti during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Acting National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) director Christopher Kantinti highlighted progress but cited school holidays as a challenge for the mass registration and renewal drive.
Kantinti explains that now, the challenge is children had gone out of school and the biggest population that thantinti explains that to attain these goals, NIRA is working with the Education and Health ministries to register schoolchildren and newborns in hospitals.
“We have renewed cards of up to 10 million citizens and we have registered new people of up to 2.4 million. So, the exercise continues, it has not stopped. Our targets were renewing cards of up to 15.8 million and registering citizens of up to 17.8 million”-Kantinti- noted
Kantin, “ So we are now organising with the Minister of Education, now that school has resumed, to see how we the Authority target to register are children, and they were out of school.
He said they can now reach these children and register them for national ID”.
Meanwhile Ugandans in the diaspora have been given an opportunity to renew their Identity and register through the 9 registration centres established in different countries. And from these centres a total of 16000 Ugandans in the diaspora have been reached out.
The International ID Day, held annually on September 16, underscores every citizen’s right to identification for accessing services.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
(R-L):In blue dress:Manager Legal -Kezaabu Brenda,Vincent Katutsi- commissioner Civil Registration
Katinti Christopher- Ag ED and substantively Director ICT,Ollama Claire-Registrar|Project communication,Bagwa Godfrey-Head HR.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity attending the meeting with NIRA Staff at Kololo.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
NIRA Staff members are seen during the tour.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
Kantinti reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to strengthening its systems to meet the global target of ensuring every person is identified by 2030.
He added the ongoing efforts reflect Uganda’s drive to improve national data systems and expand access to critical services through reliable identification.
“We commemorate this day to make sure that everybody is aware that identity is a right and also there are international goals which require us to have identity for all by the year 2030. So we strive to achieve that and therefore we celebrate this day to make sure that we create awareness and also focus our efforts towards achieving identity for all by 2030”-Kantinti added.
Andrew Apedelo, Senior Officer for Birth, Death, and Adoption Registration, highlighted key challenges undermining NIRA’s effectiveness, including inadequate funding, low public awareness, limited staffing, and the lack of permanent office space.
Addressing corruption allegations surrounding the mass registration and renewal of national identity cards, NIRA’s Head of Human Resource, Godfrey Bagwa, urged the public to report any bribery cases and to support investigations by providing written statements, evidence, and court testimonies.
Bagwa noted that, on several occasions, reported cases have stalled due to uncooperative witnesses.
Meanwhile, Brenda Kezaabu Agaba, Manager Legal Advisory Services NIRA, reaffirmed NIRA’s commitment to protecting applicants’ personal data. Guided by data protection laws, Kezaabu encouraged the submission of credible evidence against any staff accused of data misuse, citing past prosecutions. However, she condemned unsupported allegations circulating on social media.
Members of the Media Fraternity are seen being taken around during the Media Engagement.Photo by Ronald Kabuubi/KMA Updates.
