NIRA Takes Over Civil Marriage Registration
By The Public Lens
Parliament has made a landmark decision to transfer civil marriage registration from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
This move aims to streamline government operations, reduce public expenditure, and eliminate administrative redundancies within the public sector.
NIRA will now be responsible for registering civil, faith-based, and customary marriages, and maintaining the national marriage register.
This new mandate is expected to foster efficiency by consolidating civil registration activities under one entity.
As the manager of the national identification register, NIRA is well-positioned to integrate the marriage registration system with the country’s overall identity management infrastructure.
This integration will reduce overlap in functions between agencies, cutting operational costs and enhancing service delivery to citizens.
The transfer of responsibilities is part of the government’s broader strategy to consolidate public institutions with overlapping mandates.
Several agencies have already been merged, dissolved, or restructured to make public service delivery more efficient and less costly.
According to the Registration of Persons Act 2015, NIRA is responsible for registering births, deaths, and adoptions, and issuing National Identification Numbers for citizens and alien residents.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act 1998 also mandates UBOS to collect routine administrative statistics, including civil registration.
This development is expected to improve the efficiency of civil registration services in Uganda, making it easier for citizens to access essential documents and services.
