The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced that the commencement of a widespread national ID registration initiative across the entire country will start in June of this year.
During a press briefing on Monday, Rosemary Kisembo, the Executive Director of NIRA, affirmed that the comprehensive registration drive aims to cover every corner of the nation, leaving no one without the opportunity to register.
“In June, we shall begin the mass enrollment and mas renewal exercise for national IDs and this exercise will cover every piece of ground in this country. It will take place at the 10717 parishes in the country,” Kisembo said.
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According to Kisembo, the registration process will take about 10 months prioritizing Ugandans aged 16 and above. This demographic must be registered by September or November to facilitate the inclusion of their data in the national voters’ register, prepared by the Electoral Commission in anticipation of the 2026 general election.
Citing Section 5 of the Registration of Persons Act, Kisembo highlighted NIRA’s responsibilities, which include creating, managing, maintaining, and operating the National Identification Register.
The agency is tasked with registering both citizens and non-citizens of Uganda, recording births and deaths, and assigning a unique national identification number to every individual in the register.
In a significant update to the registration process, NIRA will now incorporate the individual’s iris in addition to the traditional face and fingerprints. Kisembo emphasized the uniqueness of the iris as a distinctive identifier, even for individuals with visual impairments.
“In addition to the fingerprints we are adding the iris which has a unique signature for every person. Even if you are blind, you have an iris. We are increasing the biometrics we are capturing on the register for inclusivity so that if your fingerprints are damaged, your iris can help us uniquely identify you,” Kisembo said.
Currently, despite Uganda’s population reaching 45 million, the national identification register only encompasses 27 million individuals. The upcoming registration drive aims to bridge this gap by adding between 17 million and 18 million Ugandans to the register.
Additionally, even Ugandans residing abroad will be included in the registration process to ensure they receive national IDs.
