KAMPALA, UGANDA – The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has confirmed that at least 5.5 million newly printed National Identity Cards remain unclaimed by citizens across Uganda.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The revelation was made during a NIRA update on the ongoing mass enrolment and renewal exercise for National Identity Cards (IDs).
The exercise, which began on April 1, 2025, was initially scheduled for six months but has been extended to February 8, 2026, due to overwhelming public demand.
According to the latest official data, NIRA has printed over 7 million IDs, but only 1.5 million have been collected by applicants. This leaves a staggering 5.5 million cards waiting in district offices nationwide.
The project’s primary goals were to renew 15.8 million expiring IDs and to register 17.2 million new applicants, including children and those who missed the initial 2014 registration.
Following the nationwide enrollment, NIRA dispatched over five million cards to its 96 district offices. However, collection rates remain critically low.
Despite the low turnout, NIRA confirms its offices are open in all districts and that the authority continues printing and dispatching cards for remaining applicants.
As of December 29, 2025, the authority had also processed 32,351 changes of personal particulars and migrated 21,463,874 records from the old identification system to the new one.
The enrollment exercise remains open to all unregistered Ugandan citizens, from infants to adults. Registration is available at any NIRA centre, with particular emphasis on the rotating parish-level operations.
About the Author
