NIRA Faces Backlog of 5.4 Million Uncollected National IDs

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is currently holding a significant backlog of over 5.4 million uncollected national identity cards. This situation poses a potential challenge for citizens seeking to access various services, including banking, mobile money, and driving permits, which increasingly require formal identification.

NIRA’s executive director, Rosemary Kisembo, informed Members of Parliament that the primary cause of this delay is a shortage of permanent staff. The authority’s approved staff of 571 positions is significantly underfilled, with only 418 filled and a mere 201 client-facing roles. This limited capacity has led to approximately 5.4 million cards remaining undistributed out of the 15.4 million newly printed.

The mass enrolment and renewal exercise, launched in May 2025, relied on a large temporary workforce, but their contracts have since expired. NIRA estimates it would require nine months of dedicated distribution efforts to clear the current card backlog. To address this and other ongoing registration needs, the authority is advocating for an increase in its permanent staff to 998 and the recruitment of at least 2,700 temporary workers for an 18-month period.

However, some MPs have suggested that staffing levels might not be the sole issue. Concerns have been raised about operational inefficiencies and internal service standards contributing to the delays. Citizens have also reported issues with their newly issued IDs not being activated or linked to other government systems, impacting critical processes like obtaining driving permits. NIRA is working on integrating its systems and managing the transfer of civil registration records, including a substantial archive of marriage records inherited from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau.

This growing pile of uncollected cards compounds a broader identification gap, with an estimated 10.9 million Ugandans not yet registered and another six million due for renewal.

https://observer.ug/news/nira-stuck-with-5-4-million-uncollected-national-ids