Government is planning to waive the shillings 50,000 fee required for the renewal of National Identification Cards (IDs).

Suffice it to note that the law provides for the renewal of national IDs every 10 years. This was premised on the fact that security features of these IDs and physical features of holders degenerate with time, however, this has a huge implication cost.

The revelation is contained in a statement Internal Affairs state minister Gen. David Muhoozi submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Apparently, these fees are provided for under Registration of Persons (fees) Regulations, statutory instrument No. 9 of 2016, which the minister says is up for amendment.

Thomas Tayebwa, Deputy speaker presides over plenary on February 13, 2024.

However, the principal Act which is the Registration of Persons Act (ROPA), Act 3 of 2015 will be left intact.

“However, regulations thereunder will be amended, namely: Registration of Persons Regulations, statutory instrument No 67 of 2015 - Regulation 23 (2). That is Form 9; Application for renewal of National Identification Card. The form is being amended to remove repetitive information to simplify the process with the aim of improving the turnaround time at renewal,” he stated. 

“Registration of Persons (fees) Regulations, statutory instrument No. 9 of 2016 - Regulation 2; on fees payable for renewal of a national identification card including penalties for default in renewal by a citizen. The amendment is intended to remove the fees payable by a citizen for renewal of a national identification card and introduce fees for express service only,” Muhoozi added.

Furthermore, he intimated that “the planned amendments were presented by National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) management to the NIRA board of directors at its 78th board meeting held on August 3, 2023, for consideration. The proposed amendments were approved and submitted to the First Parliamentary Counsel (FPC) after board approval. We await the progress of the FPC on the matter.”

Matter of National importance

Muhoozi’s remarks were in response to a matter of national importance that was raised by Betty Ethel Naluyima (Wakiso district Woman MP, NUP) on February 7, 2024, during plenary.

During the sitting, Naluyima disclosed that as IDs approach the end of their shelf life, there appears to be no guidance in place on how to acquire new ones. This she said is likely to expose the population to racketeers and con artists.

“Most of us here got our national identity cards and were part of the first batch in 2015 and many of our IDs are set to expire on 2nd December 2024. We are wondering how the identification of a nation can expire. We would wish to get clarity,” Naluyima said.

“As I talk, many of my people in Wakiso and several other areas consult me about this matter and we are having conmen who are taking advantage that we shall follow this and that. Before our people and the public get conned, could we get a justifiable process? My prayers, can the minister of internal affairs get to this floor here and fully explain what process will be followed,” she implored.  

Statistics

This discourse comes barely two months after Parliament allocated supplementary funding amounting to shillings 300 billion to the finance ministry for the mass enrolment and mass renewal project.

Of this, shillings 208 billion was meant to go towards development with 92 billion for recurrent expenditure. To this effect, the Government is understood to have released 192 billion in this ongoing quarter.

However, Muhoozi, while speaking on Tuesday retorted that they are yet to receive a coin, which implies that the process has to wait a little longer.

The lag has affected activities which include recruitment of workers to man the exercise and the delayed procurement, something Deputy Speaker Tomas Tayebwa says is grave considering the fact that this data is needed for the 2026 elections.

“This is the process where we extract the register for elections, which should be ready by January 2025. You need to renew over 15.2 million IDs and enrol 17 million new IDs by June this year, you need to move fast such that we do not get into a national crisis,” Tayebwa said.

“You cannot wait for the money to reach your account, you can start on the process of recruitment, then when money comes you just issue recruitment letters,” Tayebwa added.

MPs respond

On his part, Tonny Ayoo (Kwania county, NRM) called for a system upgrade if they are to reduce long queues and delays.

“NIRA has been operating on very dilapidated computers, systems and perhaps applications, that is why they are providing for express IDs, why can’t they borrow from the process of issuance and renewal of driving licences?” Ayoo said.