IN PICTURES: NIRA to increase National ID replacement charge to sh200,000

NIRA | MIA | NATIONAL ID | CHARGES

The Ministry of Internal Affairs with NIRA has proposed an increase in the national identification card (ID) charge replacement to shs200,000 from Sh. 50,000.

On September 1, 2022, the plan to increase the parliamentary staff was brought before the parliamentary committee on defense and internal affairs by the minister of internal affairs, Major General Kahinda Otafiire.

"This is not done with malice. It serves as a deterrent to people from losing their national identification cards as a result of carelessness," said Otafiire.

The plan was tough for the committee to accept, though. The claim is unfounded, according to Nyakikongoro Rosemary, a member of parliament from Sheema District and chair of the parliamentary committee on defense and internal affairs.

"We requested the yardstick that was used to more than double the charge, but they were unable to persuade us. The number 200,000 is inflated from 50,000. The peasants cannot afford it yet they need it to access services.” Nyakikongolo stated, adding that the notion was not well received by the committee.

 Margaret Lamwaka, the Kitgum district woman Member of Parliament, questioned how a Kitugum peasant who has never seen a car and subsists on half a meal per day could manage to pay 200,000 for a new national ID.

The project will cost around 600 billion, according to Otafiire, who also informed the committee that NIRA intends to start gathering DNA.

Stephen Kangwagye Rwakanuma, a member of parliament representing Bukanga County, questioned how NIRA would identify people's genders, claiming that people often change their gender and age for the wrong reasons.

He suggested that a clear system be put in place to determine the biological genders and the appropriate ages.