The Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), has officially launched the pilot phase of Uganda’s Mass Enrollment and National ID Renewal Exercise.
The event, presided over by Gen David Muhoozi, Minister of State for Internal Affairs, took place at the Ministry’s boardroom in Kampala on May 5, 2025.
The pilot phase began on May 2 and runs until May 26, 2025, serving as a preparatory stage for the countrywide rollout scheduled to start on May 27, 2025. The exercise targets the renewal of 15.8 million national IDs expiring in June 2025 and the registration of 17.2 million new individuals, especially youth turning 16 and adults previously unregistered. NIRA’s current register contains biometric and biographic data of 27.7 million Ugandans.
Massive Infrastructure and System Upgrade
Following a contract awarded in July 2024 to Tahaluf Al Emarat Technical Solutions, Uganda has received: 5,665 biometric registration kits, 2 card printing machines with capacity of 100,000 laser-engraved IDs per day, 80 servers and advanced data center infrastructure and a new National Security Information System built on the Modular Open Source Identification Platform (MOSIP).
The upgraded system integrates birth and death registration and introduces iris scanning as a new biometric feature. All data capture will be conducted by authorised NIRA officers at designated sites.
Services and Requirements
1. Renewal of National IDs (Free of charge); must present either the original/photocopy of the expired ID or a police letter if lost and biographic details remain unchanged; NIN stays the same.
2. New Registration for Children (Below 18 years) requires a photocopy of one parent’s National ID. In the absence of a parent’s ID, ID of a grandparent or blood relative is required and must be accompanied by an adult.
3. New Adult Registration (18+ years, Free of charge) requires a photocopy of a parent’s ID or proof from a grandparent/blood relative, in the absence of a family ID, a certified letter from local leaders is needed, and citizenship must be clearly categorised and proven.
4. Change/Correction of Particulars (UGX 200,000); full documentation and payment receipt required, and new cards issued only after old ones are invalidated.
5. Replacement of Lost ID (UGX 50,000); applicants with lost IDs are encouraged to renew instead. ID Processing & Issuance, for the first 3–5 months, new cards will be issued within 4 weeks of application. This is expected to reduce to 2 weeks post-initial phase. Cards will be collected from the declared place of residence.
“No double registration for those who already have a NIN. All payments must be made in banks; no cash to NIRA staff. Falsifying information is a criminal offence. Citizens are urged to identify their correct citizenship category under Uganda’s Constitution to avoid processing delays. The parish-level deployment includes 10 rotating registration kits per district, with schedules determined by local authorities,” said Gen Muhoozi.
NIRA is working closely with key partners, including the Electoral Commission, to ensure the exercise supports the upcoming National Display and enhances citizen data integrity. The pre-registration link will go live on the NIRA website on May 27, 2025, marking the start of the full rollout phase.
