The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced that a countrywide mass enrollment and renewal exercise for national identity cards will officially begin on May 27, 2025. The process is expected to take between six and ten months and will be conducted across all districts in Uganda.
NIRA’s Executive Director, Ms. Rosemary Kisembo, revealed that approximately 15.8 million ID cards expiring in June 2025 will be renewed, while 17.2 million new cards will be issued to citizens who were unable to register during the previous exercise.
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“The activity will take place at the parish level, from Monday to Saturday each week,” Ms. Kisembo said, noting that each parish will have a minimum of 10 registration kits, though this number may vary depending on district needs.
She emphasized the importance of citizens appearing in person with the necessary documents and encouraged Ugandans to spread awareness and support others—including travelers and youth—to participate in the exercise.
Ms. Kisembo also reiterated that both registration and renewal are free of charge. However, individuals wishing to amend details on their ID—such as names or other personal information—will be required to pay a fee of Shs200,000. Corrections caused by NIRA errors, she clarified, will be handled at no cost. “People shouldn’t misuse this opportunity by falsely claiming that NIRA made errors—we have accurate records,” she cautioned.
The entire exercise will cost the government about Shs666.85 billion. Of this, Shs183 billion will be spent on producing new ID cards, Shs293 billion on technology and equipment (including data centers and registration kits), and Shs190.85 billion on payments for the 13,864 personnel involved.
NIRA has received a total of 5,665 registration kits and has already deployed 5,300 of them, keeping 365 in reserve for emergencies. Distribution has been based on population size, with densely populated districts receiving more kits.
Ms. Kisembo urged the public to take this opportunity seriously, especially in light of previous frustrations among citizens with expired IDs who have long awaited a chance to renew their documents.
“The time is now,” she said. “Let us all participate and ensure this important national exercise is a success.”
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