Overview:
NIRA says it plans to serve 33 million Ugandans — including 15.8 million renewals and 17.2 million new applicants — under its ongoing campaign. Yet, despite massive registration numbers, card distribution has lagged behind.
Months after the mass registration and renewal of National Identity cards began, thousands of Ugandans are still leaving National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) offices empty-handed — even though their IDs have already been printed.
Inside NIRA’s warehouses, stacks of freshly printed cards await dispatch to district offices, part of what the Authority calls a “phased approach” to prepare for a nationwide mass issuance exercise. But as public frustration grows, many are questioning why the cards remain out of reach.
NIRA says it plans to serve 33 million Ugandans — including 15.8 million renewals and 17.2 million new applicants — under its ongoing campaign. Yet, despite massive registration numbers, card distribution has lagged behind.
“We are printing a number of National ID cards, and they are at our warehouses,” explained Mr Peter Okwalinga, NIRA’s Communications and Media Officer. “What we are doing now is dispatching them to district offices. After the official launch, these offices will issue cards to their rightful owners.”
For now, only urgent or special cases are being processed, as the Authority waits to roll out the next phase.
“We are preparing for a large-scale rollout similar to the earlier mass enrollment. Once ready, we will issue cards in bulk across all districts,” Okwalinga added.
Public Frustration Grows
The announcement offers little comfort to citizens who have made multiple trips to NIRA offices without success. Many applicants say they were not informed that cards would only be released after an official launch.
Queues continue to snake through registration centers, with some residents traveling long distances only to be told their cards are “not yet ready.”
NIRA maintains that the crowding reflects public enthusiasm, not inefficiency.
“During the mass enrollment, people turned up in large numbers. Now, they are equally eager to collect their IDs,” Okwalinga said. “We have the capacity to issue them once the rollout begins.”
Still, the lack of clear timelines has fueled skepticism over the agency’s readiness.
Despite the delays, NIRA reports progress in renewals.
“We are almost hitting 100 percent of our target for renewals,” Okwalinga said. “Our strategy of taking services closer to people — in markets, hospitals, offices, churches, mosques, and even shrines — has worked well.”
The authority also continues to encourage parents to register children as early as possible.
“We register even babies a day old,” Okwalinga noted. “We’ve made special arrangements for mothers and breastfeeding women to ease the process.”
Beyond Uganda’s borders, NIRA teams have been dispatched to Europe, Asia, China, and several African countries to register Ugandans abroad. Officials say the move reflects the growing importance of the National ID for accessing financial, travel, and government services.
While NIRA insists that the cards are safe and ready for mass issuance, it has not announced when the official rollout will begin. For thousands of citizens who registered months ago, the wait continues — and so do the questions.