MPs ask Nira to address IDs mess

Lawmakers on Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs have called upon the National Identification and Registration Authority (Nira) to sort out the pending National Identification (ID) cards mess ahead of June’s renewal exercise.

The current IDs, which were issued in 2014, will expire next year.

The MPs from the Committee of Defence and Internal Affairs made the call on Monday evening during an interface with officials from Nira.

“I tell you that by the time we reach 2024, we shall be in a panic mood in the country and [yet] cards are expiring [then]. Before you know it, the machines and equipment [will be] obsolete [outdated]. And why is there pulling between the government and the new service providers? These are huge things,” Mr Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga County) said.

“I even saw somewhere that you are advising [for] better-detailed security features on the National Identity cards. It means that you are going to enhance the existing systems and IDs, but, the way you are doing [things], it seems as if you are putting the cart before the Horse. You are not allowing Nira to emerge and take care of this very critical process,” he added.

Gen David Muhoozi, the State minister for Internal Affairs, whose ministry is tasked with championing citizen identification, protection and preservation rights admitted that “we are late” but they would do everything possible to ensure that the exercise is implemented efficiently.

The committee chairperson, Ms Rosemary Nyakikongoro (Sheema District Woman MP), asked for clarity on what kind of technology and equipment Nira will be using during the renewal and mass enrolment exercise.

Ms Rosemary Kisembo, the executive director at Nira, said they plan to share resources to resolve limited equipment. 

“Government, because of constrained resources, proposed to the entities involved with the population, including voters [electoral commission], census and Nira to see if we can share equipment because Uganda Bureau of Statistics is having a census between June to September [this year] and are acquiring 130,000 tablets...” Ms Kisembo said.

Mr Bashir Lubega (Mubende Municipality) wondered why it takes long for people to acquire IDs at Nira.

But Ms Kisembo said: “I feel the pain of this committee. However, we need to join hands, right from the LC1 because Nira is at the end of the chain”.

Expenditure
Nira officials indicated that the mass enrolment of 17.2 million citizens and renewal of 15.8 million IDs [due to expire next year] will require Shs58 billion for this Financial Year 2023/2024.