"If you think shs200,00 is too much, don't lose your ID"- Otafiire tells Ugandans

The government has proposed raising the fee for "express" replacement or change of information on National Identity Cards.

According to Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, the new express fee is shs 200,000, up from the previously announced shs 50,000.

With the current National IDs set to expire, the government announced last month that it would begin enrolling citizens for new identity cards between June 2023 and August 2024.

Minister Otafiire told journalists that the process of obtaining new IDs will be free, as it was in 2014, but citizens who need them quickly will have to pay a fee of shs 50,000 for express processing.

However, during his appearance before the Parliamentary Defence and Internal Affairs committee on Thursday, Otafiire stated that this fee will now be increased to shs 200,000.

"We will implement an express enrolment fee for individuals who can afford to pay for service delivery within two days," Otaffire said.

"If you don't want express, you just get an ID card like everyone else, for free," Otafiire added.

A team of National Identification and Registration Authority (Nira) officials joined the minister to update the committee on the exercise, which is set to begin in August 2023.

MPs, on the other hand, expressed concern that officials might prioritise express ID applicants, worsening the experience for citizens who want to get theirs normally.

Otafiire, on the other hand, stated that the process will also help the government generate more revenue, but only for those who believe they cannot wait.

The cost of issuing new IDs and the overall enrollment process is estimated to be Shs 600 billion.

According to Otafire, the process is necessary due to global technological advancements that Uganda must keep up with.