The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced a new mass National ID enrollment and renewal exercise which will start next year in June 2023 up to August 2024.
This exercise will be aimed at renewing all cards issued between 2014 and 2015 in line with fulfilling the legal provisions in the registration of persons Act 2015 and to register the estimated 17.4 million Ugandans who are not registered.
“As of September 2022, the national identification register had 25.9 million Ugandans registered. It is estimated that 17.4 million Ugandans are not registered in the National Identification Register,” the statement read.
For effective services (Registration and Renewal) to all Ugandans, the exercise will be conducted at the parish level in order for proper service deliverance.
However, according to NIRA the enrollment and renewal of ID cards will be free of charge but for those who will opt for express printing will be required to pay a certain fee.
“A Ugandan who is eligible for mass enrollment is any person who has never applied for registration of a national ID or National Identification Number (NIN), or a person who applied but has never received a NIN qualifies.” – NIRA
The National ID will also have more new features which are more technological compared to the current ones that the citizen have and that the new ID has been upgraded to cater for persons with disabilities.
“The new card will bare salient security features which distinguish it from the ordinary ones to make it more suitable for the current technological trend,” NIRA statement.
NIRA states that the new features on the new National ID contains digital images of the Uganda Court of Arms and other artifacts are securely embedded on multiple layers of the poly carbonate card making it difficult to fake. The face image of the card holder is also embedded using optical variable ink which will be difficult to imitate.
“It also has a feature that allows persons with sight challenges to touch and feel selected identifiers among others,” -NIRA.
According to NIRA, the new card will also have multiple functions which will promote e-government services and national, international electronic transactions in banking, travel, health and many other sectors.
