The Internal affairs state minister Gen David Muhoozi has told Parliament that mass enrolment to register or renew expiring Identity Cards (IDs) of close to 30 million Ugandans is expected to start June 1, a year later than the original date.
While the exercise is expected to run up to January 2025, authorities say gaps in preparations at the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA), including absence of funds for recruitment of registration staff, and delays in procurement of necessary systems, threaten to hamstring the process.
Legislators yesterday expressed concern that any delays, and failure to have the upgraded IDs on time, could plunge the country into gross hiccups as the document has become central to life and business.
The first batch of current Identity Cards were issued in 2014 and 2015 with a 10-year life span setting expiry for between August 2024 and June 2025.
Gen Muhoozi told the House that there is currently no money for recruitment of registration staff even as a Shs300b supplementary budget was passed for the process.
Only Shs192b was allocated to the cause in quarter three but Gen Muhoozi said all other preparations are underway including training of NIRA staff in India on the new National Security Information System.
He confirmed that procurement of the system and other supporting accessories is also ongoing.
Issuance of IDs, according to the updated road map, will start on December 2.
