NIRA to phase out current national IDs for electronic cards

The National Identification and Registrations Authority (NIRA), is in the process of introducing electronic national identity cards to replace the current ones by the year 2024, the Minister for Internal Affairs , Gen Jeje Odong has said.

Speaking at a function where the new NIRA Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo assumed office on Friday, Odong said the move is already in the pipeline and urged her to ensure it is realized by the year 2024.

“We expect a new and enhanced identity card by 2024. The journey has already begun but we would like you to grab the bull by the horns so that by 2024 we have a new card with an electronic chip and other new features,”Odong said at a function held at the NIRA headquarters in Kololo.

“We want an enhanced national ID that will enable people move to other countries easily but also enable them transact business.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the function, the Internal Affairs Minister said the new ID will have new readable features.

“The new ID that we envisage in 2024 will have enhanced features and most likely we will have it digitalized so we will be able to hold more data on that same facility(ID).It will be more a little robust than we have now,” Gen Jeje Odong said.

Asked whether the electronic ID will have an expiry date, the Internal Affairs Minister said government is yet to decide on the same.

“We will determine whether that will be a necessary requirement for the new identity card but as we speak now we have not yet determined whether it will have an expiry date.”

In 2015, after setting up of the National Identification and Registrations Authority(NIRA),government started mass registration of citizens for issuance of the national Identity Cards.

However, whereas Uganda’s population is above 40 million, only 25 million of these have been registered by NIRA.

Whereas having a national ID is mandatory to be able to get most government services, a  smaller number of the population  has been issued with the documents, a failure that NIRA has attributed to a number of challenges including lack of adequate staff and funds.

Speaking on Friday, the Internal Affairs Minister tasked the new NIRA Executive Director to ensure all Ugandans are registered but also getting cards since it is their right.

Kisembo ready for the job

In her acceptance speech, the new NIRA boss, Rosemary Kisembo said she is ready to cause tectonic changes at the institution.

“I therefore envision simplifying the registration processes and forms to ensure all Ugandans are registered. We will collaborate with the Ministry of Health so that health facilities become places of registration for all the new born babies,”Kisembo said.

She noted that this way, data from the health ministry would help reduce on the burden by NIRA to register Ugandans.

According to Kisembo, she envisions the use of data from other organisations and entities to ensure all Ugandans are registered.

She revealed that NIRA would rather spend more time organizing data got from other entities about Ugandans than spending a lot of time registering Ugandans which she said is very costly and time consuming.

“I envision automating and making readily available, secure online processes for all registration functions to improve service delivery. I will also ensure acquisition of appropriate technologies for a secure card with biometric features but also decentralize and make available selected electronic NIRA services at sub-county and parish levels all over the country,” she noted.