NIRA chief urges strict adherence as mass renewal begins

23 March 2025, 6:16 pm

By Mike Okwang Ogule

The Executive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Ms. Rosemary Kisembo, has called on registration assistants across the country to strictly adhere to the set guidelines as the nationwide mass renewal and registration exercise begins.

Ms. Kisembo made the pronouncement during an interaction with registration assistants at a training session organised by NIRA to equip over 10,000 personnel with the latest Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical knowledge to effectively operate the new registration kits procured by the Government of Uganda. The training is being conducted in 21 centers across the country and is expected to enhance efficiency in the six-month-long exercise.

According to Ms. Kisembo, there are 27.4 million registered persons in the National Identification Register, with 6.3 million, or about 22.1%, falling in the 0-17 years age bracket out of the total population of about 46 million. At the Lira training centre, hosted at Lango College SS, registration assistants from Kwania, Apac, Lira, and Lira City were the first batch of trainees to undergo the program followed by Kole Oyam and Pader districts in the second batch.

While officiating at the training, Lira City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Mr. Lawrance Egole emphasised the need for collaboration between NIRA and security agencies to ensure the safety of the registration equipment. He further urged the registration assistants to be vigilant and to strictly follow the established guidelines governing the mass registration and renewal exercise.

“NIRA has demonstrated its excellence as a government entity, and I commend its efforts in ensuring an effective national registration process,” Mr. Egole said. He also expressed his gratitude to NIRA for selecting Lira city as one of the training centres for this significant exercise. Mr. Denis Ojok, NIRA’s Manager in Charge of Administration, welcomed the trainees to the NIRA family and encouraged them to be punctual and adaptable in their roles. He emphasised that hardworking individuals within NIRA have opportunities for career growth and professional elevation within the institution.

The training was facilitated by various NIRA officials, including Mr. Fred Balaba, District Registration Officer for Adjumani; Mr. Peter Okwalinga, NIRA Officer in Charge of Public Relations; Mr. Walter Ongom, DRO Kole; and Mr. Moses Meregurwa, NIRA IT Officer Oyam, among others.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and NIRA hope that through the Mass Enrolment and Renewal Exercise, they will enroll 17.2 million unregistered Ugandans and renew the National ID cards of 15.8 million Ugandans. The exercise is anticipated to start in early April 2025.