In response to the looming deadline of expiry for current National Identity cards in May 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that the registration for the renewal of these Identity cards will commence in June this year.
The revelation came on Tuesday from the Minister of State in the Ministry, Gen David Muhoozi, during a session in parliament.
He disclosed that the mass enrolment exercise, which will also accommodate new registrations, is expected to continue until January 2025.
Gen Muhoozi attributed the delay in commencing the exercise to various shortcomings at the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA), including the lack of funds for recruiting registration staff and delays in procuring necessary systems.
Addressing concerns raised by MPs regarding the delays and potential repercussions of not having upgraded IDs on time, Gen Muhoozi acknowledged the challenges. He noted a shortage of funds for staff recruitment despite the approval of a Shs300 billion supplementary budget for the process, with only Shs192 billion allocated in quarter three.
Nevertheless, Gen Muhoozi assured that all other preparations are underway. This includes the training of NIRA staff in India on the new National Security Information System, along with ongoing procurement of the system and other supporting accessories.
Regarding the necessity of ID card renewals, Wakiso Woman MP Ethel Naluyima (NUP) suggested that the Ministry of Internal Affairs consider approaches from neighboring countries that do not mandate renewals every ten years, as long as biometrics remain consistent after the age of 18.
In response, Gen Muhoozi defended the renewal practice, citing concerns about the degradation of security features over time and changes in physical features necessitating renewal within a decade.
The Minister also revealed plans to incorporate the iris as an additional biometric feature in the new ID cards, along with a security feature detectable under Ultraviolet light, aimed at preventing duplication and enabling authenticity checks.
According to NIRA’s public notice regarding Mass Enrollment and Mass Renewal, every Ugandan above 16 years old is eligible to obtain an ID. The upcoming enrollment targets individuals who have never applied for a national identification card or National Identification Number (NIN), or those who applied but never received a NIN.
The first batch of current Identity Cards, issued between 2014 and 2015 with a 10-year lifespan, will see expiry between August 2024 and June 2025. Holders of such IDs will need to apply for renewal to receive a new ID, while the NIN will remain the same.
However, it’s understood that holders of IDs with expiration dates beyond 2025 are not required to renew during the mass renewal exercise.
Regarding renewal fees, NIRA clarified that despite previous statements suggesting fees would apply, they have been waived. However, individuals seeking express services to obtain their IDs within 48 hours will be subject to a fee.
