NIRA Sets Timeline for National ID Renewal and Registration

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has released a detailed timeline for the renewal of national IDs and fresh registrations. This exercise comes as the validity of millions of Ugandan IDs approaches expiry from August 2024.

The government has allocated Shs666.85 billion for the process, aiming to enrol 17.2 million citizens and renew 15.8 million ID cards. This funding will cover the acquisition of crucial hardware, software, and operating systems, as well as blank ID cards. The budget also includes allowances for the 13,000 registration assistants and other administrative costs.

NIRA confirmed that an expired national ID will remain valid for an additional year, allowing holders to continue using them for essential services such as government transactions and financial operations, as stipulated under Sections 65 and 66 of the Registration of Persons Act.

Key dates in the rollout include:

• 20th October – 15th November: Installation and configuration of new hardware for NIRA's data centre.
• 24th November: Arrival of the first batch of 3,000 kits, 53.1% of the total 5,665 required.
• 25th November: Upgrading of card printing and personalisation equipment, with each machine capable of producing 46,000 cards per day. Staff training will commence simultaneously.
• 5th – 15th December: Distribution of the first 3,000 kits to 135 districts and 11 cities, along with training for registration assistants.
• 17th December: Arrival of 1,668 additional kits. Modules for new registrations, renewals, ID replacements, and updates of personal details will go live.
• 26th December – 5th January 2025: Second batch of machines will be distributed.
• 12th January 2025: Final batch of 997 kits will arrive and be distributed by 29th January.

On 20th January 2025, two additional high-capacity card printing machines, each capable of producing 80,500 cards per day, will be installed to speed up the process.

NIRA’s Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, highlighted that the initiative aims to ensure all Ugandans aged 17 and above are registered and issued with a national ID. She further noted that the registration exercise will run every day, including weekends, from 8 am to 5 pm.