Overview:
The temporary measures, announced by NIRA Registrar and Spokesperson Claire Ollama, are intended to minimize the risk of transmission by reducing public gatherings and limiting activities in areas where enforcement of public health guidelines is difficult.
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has scaled down mobile registration and outreach services in several Ebola-affected and high-risk border districts as Uganda intensifies efforts to contain the latest Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak linked to the Budibugyo region.
The temporary measures, announced by NIRA Registrar and Spokesperson Claire Ollama, are intended to minimize the risk of transmission by reducing public gatherings and limiting activities in areas where enforcement of public health guidelines is difficult.
Speaking during the weekly security briefing at Uganda Police Headquarters on Monday, June 1, Ollama said the decision follows directives from the Ministry of Health aimed at strengthening infection prevention and control measures in communities considered vulnerable to the outbreak.
While outreach programmes and mass registration exercises will be suspended or significantly reduced in affected districts, NIRA offices will remain open and continue offering essential services through controlled service points.
“We are scaling down greatly on our services in all border districts. We are only going to serve communities and spaces where enforcement and control can happen,” Ollama said.
The affected districts include Hoima, Kikuube, Ntoroko, Kabarole, Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu, Fort Portal, Kasese, Kamwenge, Rukungiri, Kanungu, Kisoro, and Isingiro, as well as several districts in West Nile and northern Uganda, including Arua, Yumbe, Koboko, Maracha, Moyo, Adjumani, Nebbi, and Pakwach.
According to NIRA, services in these areas will be restricted to fixed offices and other controlled locations such as health facilities, where compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can be effectively monitored.
The operational changes come as health authorities intensify surveillance, contact tracing, and public awareness campaigns in response to the Ebola outbreak associated with the Bundibugyo strain. Government has also reinforced restrictions on public gatherings and heightened monitoring along key transport routes and border areas as part of broader containment efforts.
Despite the scaling down of outreach activities, NIRA has assured the public that critical civil registration services will continue uninterrupted.
These include birth registration, issuance of national identity cards, and marriage registration services. The authority urged citizens to continue accessing these services through designated offices and approved service points.
Ollama particularly encouraged parents and guardians to register children as early as possible, noting that birth registration is free within the first six months after birth, while delayed registration attracts administrative charges.
Beyond the immediate response to the Ebola outbreak, NIRA said it remains focused on improving service delivery through ongoing reforms. These include preparations for the registration of legally resident foreign nationals and enhanced integration of identity verification systems with government institutions and other agencies that rely on national identification data.
The authority emphasized that the service adjustments are temporary and will remain under review based on guidance from health authorities and the evolving public health situation.
“Our offices will remain open. It is the outreach activities in open and uncontrolled environments that we are scaling down because of the difficulty of enforcing SOPs in such settings,” Ollama said.
NIRA reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring uninterrupted access to essential registration services while safeguarding the health of citizens and staff as Uganda continues to respond to the Ebola outbreak in western Uganda and surrounding regions.