No ID, no inheritance: NIRA sounds alarm on legal identity

Uganda is one-and-half months into an ambitious six-month sprint to renew and expand its national identification system.

With over 5.3 million Ugandans already showing up to renew their national IDs, momentum is building — but officials say the pace must pick up if the country is to meet its target on time.

“This is no small feat,” said Claire Ollama, the Buikwe district registrar for the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), during a press briefing at Police headquarters in Naguru.

“But if we continue at the current weekly average of 840,000 renewals, we’ll need about nine months to finish a race designed to take six.”

For the government, this push is about more than just paperwork. It’s about national integrity, economic empowerment and the protection of individual rights — starting from birth.

THE CASE FOR CHILD REGISTRATION

To achieve full coverage, NIRA is doubling down on early registration, especially for children. In partnership with the ministry of Education and Sports, the agency plans to roll out

“School Centric Registration Days,” where schools will act as points of enrollment. Teachers will help collect vital details using Form 3, and parents will be asked to provide accurate information to ensure every child is documented. The message is clear: registration is not just administrative — it’s legal empowerment.

“Too many Ugandans are sitting on family land or assets that cannot be legally claimed because they lack a matching ID,” Ollama said.

“A land title with no National Identification Number (NIN) is a locked gate. You can’t open it without proving who you are.”

Beyond inheritance, identity theft and fraud are growing threats. Some individuals, knowingly or not, allow others to use their identification for business transactions or property deals — often with painful consequences.

“You might be helping a friend today, but when debts surface, it’s your name the law will pursue,” Ollama warned.

Citing a line from legendary Ugandan singer Paul Kafeero’s Tusuza Emyoyo, she added: “Not all that glitters is gold.” According to NIRA, universal registration is also critical to national security.

“A single undocumented person in your household is a security risk,” Ollama noted. “If everyone is registered, no one can hide behind your name. This is how we close the cracks where impersonation and corruption thrive.”

CHANGE OF PARTICULARS SERVICE GOES LIVE

NIRA also announced the official rollout of the long-awaited “Change of Particulars” (COP) service, set to begin on July 21, 2025. This will allow Ugandans to update names, dates of birth, or other key data, especially those who may have missed previous renewal deadlines due to administrative delays or life changes.

While the service will provide much-needed flexibility, it comes at a cost: Shs 200,000 for any changes not directly caused by NIRA. More information is available on the agency’s official website.

FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND MISINFORMATION

As the ID campaign intensifies, so do reports of extortion by middlemen. Citizens have flagged cases where agents and internet café operators charge exorbitant fees for pre-registration forms and services — many falsely presenting them- selves as official channels.

Ollama was unequivocal: “NIRA services are free. Pre-registration is optional. No one should pay for a form or a favour. If you can’t pre-register online, simply walk into a NIRA station with your ID and printed form — or download one from our website.”

She urged the public to report such exploitation and reaffirmed NIRA’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and equitable access to services.