NIRA says renewed National IDs ready for collection, but wait for pickup message

Kampala, Uganda: The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced that renewed national identity cards are ready for collection for Ugandans who applied for renewal, following the start of mass production last week.

Addressing journalists on Monday, July 14, Ms Claire Ollama, a registration officer at NIRA, confirmed that the Authority had already produced 100,000 renewed cards, which have been dispatched to various parts of the country.

“Production commenced and last week we produced 100,000 cards, which have been dispatched to different parts of the country. This means this project is beginning to deliver the fruits we sought to deliver,” Ms Ollama said.

She, however, urged the public to remain patient as notifications for collection will be sent out progressively. “We ask people to be patient as we are sending messages to each on where to pick up your national ID card. When the message comes to your phone, it will tell you where to pick the card,” Ollama clarified.

Over 15 Million IDs Set to Expire by August

Uganda’s first batch of national IDs was issued between 2014 and 2015 and officially expired in 2024 and 2025 after the standard 10-year validity period. The government recently granted a one-year extension for expired cards as mass renewals and upgrades continue.

Authorities estimate that at least 15.8 million cards are expected to expire by August this year, prompting the ongoing mass registration exercise which aims to enhance security features for improved identification.

According to NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo, only 27.4 million Ugandans are currently registered out of the country’s projected population of 45.9 million, as per the 2024 census figures.

The ongoing exercise is also targeting those who missed the initial registration to ensure every Ugandan has a valid, updated, and secure national identification document.