Govt may not be ready for new IDs, AG warns
People line up to register for national IDs at Kololo Independence Grounds in 2017. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Mr Muwanga observed in his 2022 annual report that while the time left between now and 2024 is very short, the process to replace old identification cards has not yet kicked off.
Auditor General John Muwanga has warned that Uganda may not switch smoothly to the new digital national identification cards because the responsible agency does not appear to be ready to effect the transition.
The new, next-generation identity cards, which are due in 2024, are supposed to be more robust, and implanted with a microchip containing citizens’ electronic and biometric information.
Mr Muwanga observed in his 2022 annual report that while the time left between now and 2024 is very short, the process to replace old identification cards has not yet kicked off.
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is the government agency responsible for the process.
“There is a risk that the Authority will face challenges due to the large number of applications in 2024 which will result in processing delays, congestion and frustration of applicants,” he warned.
He also noted “that at the time of writing this report in December 2022, the Authority did not have a clear strategy and roadmap on how and when the new IDs will be rolled out, the costs involved, sensitisation arrangements of the public were also not clear and other key activities such as signing of contracts for supply of the blank cards, procurement of equipment and recruitment of staff to manage the exercise were yet to be undertaken”.
NIRA offers identification services; policy, planning and support; and is charged with strengthening the country’s capacity to generate statistical data. Yesterday, officials denied that they are behind schedule.
“We are still within time, we have already embarked on preparations and we are in advanced stages. We are set to start in August, it is not yet late,” Mr Osborn Mushabe, the manager for Public Relations and Corporate Affairs at NIRA, told journalists yesterday.
The government through NIRA began issuing National IDs in 2014. The first batch of those IDs expires in 2024 because just like a passport, the card is valid for only 10 years.
Line minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Kahinda Otafiire, when contacted on Sunday, briefly said: “I can’t comment because I haven’t seen the report.”
Going forward, Mr Muwanga advised NIRA to develop a comprehensive roadmap and strategy to guide the planning and execution of this activity.
In May last year, Gen David Muhoozi, the junior Internal Affairs minister, while appearing before Parliament, said the government will require all persons (both renewal and first-time applicants) to, among others, provide their DNA details in order to acquire new IDs.
“Expected outcomes of the exercise shall include; substitution of the National ID cards upon expiry, and [their] upgrading … to a smart card [Electronic ID] and creation of personal digital identity, ” Gen Muhoozi said.
Among the new proposals for the collection of biometric data under the new technology is the requirement for eye recognition applications -- through which every ID holder will have their eyes ‘photographed’ and particulars entered into a national database.
Separately, while giving an update yesterday in Kampala during the weekly police briefing, Mr Mushabe said they are stuck with three million ID cards.
“We have issued at least 26 million National Identification Numbers (NIN), and we have printed out at least 19 million national identification cards, but only 16 million cards have been picked,” he said.
