The National Information Registration Authority (NIRA) has been unable to initiate the mass enrollment of 17.2 million individuals due to a shortage of funds, as reported by NIRA’s Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo.
Furthermore, the Authority is faced with a pending task of renewing national identification cards for 15.8 million people, with the cards set to expire in August 2024.
Kisembo presented these concerns to members of the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs during a meeting on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
She also pointed out that the absence of an approved budget of Shs666.85 billion in 2022 for the installation of the National Security Information System (NSIS) has caused the delay in the mass enrollment.
Kisembo stated, “The project was supposed to begin as a pilot in June 2023, with a full rollout in August 2023, including the procurement of hardware and recruitment contracts for registration assistants. However, this has not been possible due to the lack of funds or a commitment letter for funding.”
In August 2023, the Electoral Commission released a road map that requires NIRA to provide the register of citizens to assist in compiling, maintaining, revising, and updating the voters’ register by September 2024.
Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, Chairperson of the Committee, questioned NIRA about its readiness to provide a credible data source to the Electoral Commission for the 2026 general elections, considering the delayed rollout.
Kisembo assured that although there had been delays, certain aspects of the project, such as capacity building, have commenced. She expressed optimism that procurement of hardware and integration would begin once funding becomes available.
NIRA has engaged the Ministry of Finance for project funding and is in discussions regarding the possibility of seeking cabinet approval for supplementary funding of Shs370 billion through domestic borrowing.
Hon. Naboth Namanya expressed concerns about the timely delivery of requirements by NIRA to the Electoral Commission and questioned whether a delay in funding would impede project progress.
Hon. Alex Niyonsaba asked NIRA to establish a specific deadline for raising concerns if funding continues to be unavailable.
Kisembo informed the MPs that NIRA would wait until January 31, 2024, before raising a red flag concerning project funding, should the funds not be allocated by that date. She emphasized that the acquisition of essential hardware for mass enrollment would become exceedingly difficult without funding, prompting the need for a contingency plan by the government.
