The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced that renewed national identity cards are now ready for collection by Ugandans who applied for renewal. This follows the launch of mass production last week.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Claire Ollama, a registration officer at NIRA, confirmed that the authority has already produced 100,000 renewed ID cards, which have been dispatched to various locations across the country.
“Production officially started last week, and we successfully processed 100,000 cards. These have been sent out to designated areas for collection. This marks a major milestone in our efforts to deliver secure and timely identification documents,” Ollama said.
She urged applicants to remain patient, explaining that collection notifications will be sent out in phases. “Please wait for an SMS message on your phone. It will tell you exactly where to pick up your renewed national ID card,” she added.
Uganda first issued national identity cards between 2014 and 2015. These cards have a 10-year validity period and began expiring in 2024. To manage the transition, the government granted a one-year extension to allow for mass renewals and updates.
Authorities estimate that approximately 15.8 million ID cards will have expired by August this year, prompting a nationwide renewal drive. The new cards include enhanced security features aimed at strengthening the national identification system.
According to NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo, 27.4 million Ugandans are currently registered out of a total projected population of 45.9 million, based on 2024 census data.
In addition to renewals, the current exercise also targets individuals who missed the original registration. NIRA aims to ensure that every Ugandan has a valid and secure national ID to support access to services and improve governance.
