Sh285b to be spent on national ID registration

Jan 19, 2014

The Government is to spend sh285b on the forthcoming mass registration of Ugandans for the national IDs.

By Francis Kagolo                          

The Government is to spend sh285b on the forthcoming mass registration of Ugandans for the national identity cards (IDs) scheduled for next month, officials say.

Abdul Nsubuga, the head of the mass enrollment secretariat, said the money will cater for operational costs for the four-month exercise including allowances for the 60,000 staff, fuel and procurement of equipment.         

The first phase of the mass enrollment exercise is targeting 18 million people aged 16 years and above at parish and village levels.

According to Nsubuga, the age group was selected to avoid the electoral commission (EC) from wasting more funds to update the national voters’ register for the 2016 elections.

“The EC will use the same national register to issue people with voters’ cards in two years’ time. We are being proactive,” he said in an interview with New Vision online, and urged the public to turn up for registration.

The ministry internal affairs ministry last week organised a series of sensitisation workshops for local government leaders and security officials who will man the exercise.

The second phase of mass enrolment, he said, will commence July 2016 targeting resident aliens and citizens below 16 at sub counties. From then onwards the Government will keep updating the register with information such as births, deaths and change of citizens’ residence.

National IDs are expected to reduce crime trough quick and reliable identification of criminals and enable proper planning and easy access to social services among other benefits.

The citizens will be registered in accordance to the various categories of citizenship prescribed in the 1995 constitution. These include citizenship by birth, registration, or naturalization.

Nsubuga warned all project staff against laxity, explaining that they have planned to work 10 hours seven days a week.

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