Gen, David Muhoozi confirms govt will in January 2023 commence a mass enrolment and renewal exercise of National Identity Cards

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Gen Muhoozi said the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) will commence the mass enrollment exercise of National IDs in January 2023 while renewals will start in August 2023 up to August 2025, targeting 17.2 million citizens who have never been registered and 20 million Ugandans who wish to renew their National IDs.

According to the minister, the first batch of National IDs totaling to 15.8 million that were printed and issued in the year 2014/2015 will expire between August 2024 and June 2025, thus justifying need for renewal in accordance with Regulation 19(1) of the Registration of Persons Regulations SI 67 /2015.

“Renewal will happen at each parish in a rotational manner with NIRA deploying 10 registration kits per parish per day. The exercise will happen over a 12-month period beginning August 2023. After this period, these services will be operationalized and delivered at district level,” Muhoozi said.

At parish level, 800 persons wishing to renew their IDs are expected to be served per day while 600 persons who are registering for the first time will be served. Muhoozi was on Thursday, 12 May 2022 responding to a question raised by Wakiso District Woman MP Betty Naluyima Ethel on the impending expiry of National identity Cards. He said that persons who are renewing or applying for the ID for the first time will have to do so through online services. The applicant will then print a QR encoded sheet of information of the application which will be presented to a Registration Assistant at a parish.

Muhoozi said whereas the exercise will be used as a potential avenue to generate revenue, the full cost of the acquisition of a new National ID will be borne by Government except for citizens who seek an express service.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa however, warned the minister not to make the National ID exercise a revenue generating avenue because they have become a necessary requirement for one to attain any social and economic service. Apparently, among other costs government intends to charge each Ugandan wishing to renew their National ID about Shs50,000, an issue that was protested by MPs.