18 million Ugandans are unregistered, says NIRA

An estimated 18 million Ugandans remain unregistered with the National Identification & Registration Authority (NIRA), despite a national population of over 45 million. 

This information was revealed by NIRA's Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Mr Kasumba Stephen Robert, on Tuesday at a media breakfast dialogue on civil registration. 

“As of now in our register, we have registered over 27 million people fully. But the Uganda Bureau of Statistics is saying we have over 45 million Ugandans. When we subtract, we realise that the balance was not registered," he said.

To address this, NIRA plans to reach every village, island, and hard-to-reach area like Karamoja. Their goal is to register births, deaths, and marriages, ensuring everyone is included. 

“It’s not easy to register, especially in Karamoja. In some of these communities, when somebody dies, these people bring their ID to the nearer office. They throw it there and leave. They just move away from their homes," he explained.

NIRA is working in close collaboration with 84 ministries, departments, and agencies to gather data for the register, including data exchange partnerships with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Mr Talibita Moses, legal compliance officer at the Uganda National Health Consumers Organisation (UNHCO), emphasized the legal framework surrounding registration outlined in the Registration of Persons Act. The Act specifies offenses and penalties for non-compliance.

"Section 76 lists offences in regard to registration. So failure to register a birth or death within the prescribed period or refusal to state prescribed particulars can result into a fine, not exceeding six currency points and imprisonment not exceeding three months," he said.

"The second is offenses relating to identification cards, that is Section 77, unlawful altering or modification, rather modifying information on a national identification card or aliens identification card, unlawfully keeping or taking possession of another person's identification card, or being in possession of more than one identification card intended to show the person's identity, or permitting another person to use one's identification card, or a card issued to another person can result into a fine, not exceeding 48 currency points or imprisonment not exceeding three years." 

The Executive Director of HEPS-Uganda, Mr. Kenneth Mwehonge, encouraged journalists to promote public registration. Importantly, registration for upgraded national identity cards will begin in June 2024.