The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced that at least 9.1 million Ugandans have so far registered for the renewal of their National Identity Cards in the ongoing mass registration and renewal exercise.
While updating the country on the progress Monday, NIRA Registrar Claire Ollama said the exercise has gained significant momentum over the past two months.
“We have registered 9.1 million Ugandans in two months. Of these, 8 million are renewals, 800,000 are first-time applicants, and the rest are individuals who already had National Identification Numbers (NINs) but are applying for their first National IDs,” Ollama explained.
She also noted that the registration of children has seen a substantial increase during the period, with 800,000 children enrolled.
“This indicates that people are appreciating the value of having a unique identity for their children. If you still have a child who hasn’t been registered, you are doing them a disservice,” she added, urging parents to prioritize child enrollment.
Although NIRA has already printed over 100,000 National ID cards, Ollama clarified that these cards are not yet being distributed.
Uganda’s first batch of National IDs was issued between 2014 and 2015, and with a 10-year lifespan, they officially expired between 2024 and 2025. However, the government recently extended the expiry period by one year to facilitate smoother renewals.
According to NIRA, a total of 15.8 million National Identity Cards are expected to expire by August this year.
The ongoing mass exercise not only targets renewals but also includes the introduction of new security features for enhanced identity verification and data protection.
NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo recently revealed that out of Uganda’s population of 45.9 million (based on the 2024 census), only 27.4 million are currently registered in the national identity system.
