NIRA launches new ID campaign, warns against false information

KAMPALA - The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has today rolled out two new key services under the ongoing six-month mass registration exercise and unveiled a nationwide civic campaign dubbed “I Am NINed, I Am Ugandan”, encouraging all citizens to embrace their identity and truthfully update their information on the national register.

Speaking during a joint security media briefing at Police Headquarters in Naguru, Kampala city, Claire Ollama, a registrar from NIRA, said the authority had officially launched the change of particulars and first national ID application for 16-year-olds across the country.

She warned that while the opportunity to correct genuine errors was now open, attempts to deliberately falsify information would attract legal consequences.

“This morning, I want to confirm that as we promised, the Change of Particulars service is now live at all district offices across the country,” Ollama said.

“However, I want to be categorically clear—this is not an exercise to alter facts about who you are. You cannot wake up and decide to change your age because you want to drive a tipper truck or compete in a youth football tournament in Australia.”

Ollama emphasized that only legitimate corrections will be accepted, such as typographical errors in dates of birth or names.

“You cannot be born twice,” she said. “You cannot say today you are 20 and tomorrow you are 17 because your mother wants to take you abroad. If you lied last year and now want to lie better this year, we are not the system for you. We document facts, not feelings.”

She also reminded citizens that falsifying information during registration is a crime under the Registration of Persons Act, and offenders are liable to fines, imprisonment, or both.

On the First National ID application, Omalla clarified that Ugandans aged 16 years and above who already have a National Identification Number (NIN) are now eligible to apply for their first physical ID card at any parish registration center.

“If you are 16 and you have a NIN, this is your time to stroll into a NIRA office and apply for your first ID card,” she said. “If you don’t have a NIN yet, you can still come through the proper process with the ID of your parent or a blood relative.”

She urged those with access to the internet to pre-register online and only go in for biometric capture to ease congestion and speed up service delivery.

Turning to school-based registration, Ollama announced that the Ministry of Education and Sports had given full support for NIRA to resume registrations in selected schools to capture learners who may not have time to go to parish centers.

“Many learners do odd jobs that make it hard to leave school,” she said. “So, we’re bringing the service closer through school-based arrangements, but we urge parents to provide complete and accurate information.”

Ollama said a previous school registration exercise in 2017 had seen over 10,000 applications canceled due to poor-quality data. 

She urged parents to make firm decisions on names and ancestral origins now to avoid confusion later.

“If your child is Teo decide today if they will be Teo or Teopista. If you are Budhala, be Budhala now—don’t come next year to become Abudhalah,” she said. “Help us document your child’s true identity once and for all.”

As part of its new civic engagement push, NIRA also launched a nationwide movement to encourage citizens to proudly own their national identity through the #IamNINed campaign.

“We want it to become the next hot thing in Uganda to be named and documented—to be NINed and to be Ugandan unapologetically,” Ollama said. “We are the Pearl of Africa. Let it be beautiful again to say, ‘I am NINed, I am Ugandan."

Citing Article 10 of the Constitution, Omalla reminded citizens that Ugandan nationality could be acquired by birth, registration, or naturalisation—and that identity is not just about tribes, but belonging.

“Whether you are from Kisoro, Arua, Karamoja, or Kasese, this exercise is for you. From now on, show us your Ugandan-ness,” she said.