The Democratic Party (DP) has called upon the government to disband the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) as an authority, asking the Ministry of Internal Affairs to remain with the sole mandate to process national identification cards for Ugandans.

While speaking to the media at the Democratic Party Offices at City House in Kampala, Ismail Kiirya, the Uganda Young Democrats President, said that NIRA has on many occasions failed to fulfil its mandate, and there are a lot of concerns in the public about the services the authority offers.

Recently, NIRA announced that the national IDs are expiring in June 2024 and that all Ugandans will need to replace their national IDs.

“As a Ugandan, your nationality shouldn’t expire, so there shouldn’t be any cost for any Ugandan to get a national ID,” Kiirya said.

Kiirya added that there are many foreign nationals who have Ugandan national IDs, which is very hard for one to get in any other country, but in Uganda, there are many foreigners with Ugandan national identity cards as long as one has some money to offer to NIRA officers.

“Internal affairs should handle the issuance of national identity cards because we have seen them do a very commendable job with passports; they are very thorough, strict, and very organised,” Kiirya added.

In October 2023, the NIRA revealed plans to seek a loan worth UGX 370 billion from local commercial banks to fund the mass enrolment and renewal of national identity cards.

The revelation was made by the Executive Director of NIRA, Rosemary Kisembo, who, while appearing before Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, summoned the Authority to update Parliament on the progress of the national mass enrolment and renewal of national IDs.

The process of renewing national IDs is also crucial since it also builds into the 2026 general elections, where a national ID is required for one to cast their vote.