NIRA launches new registration campaign ahead of National Identity Day

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The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has rolled out an intensified registration campaign ahead of International Identity Day, observed globally on September 16.

The campaign comes as part of the final stage of Uganda’s six-month mass enrolment exercise currently taking place at the parish level across the country.

Speaking at a weekly security briefing at the Uganda Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday morning, Claire Ollama, a NIRA registrar, urged Ugandans who have not yet registered or renewed their National ID cards to do so urgently while services are still easily accessible.

“From May 27, we are now in week 16 of the parish-based enrolment drive — a clear signal that the window is closing,” Ollama said. “If you’ve not yet enrolled or renewed, now is the time. We are at your parish — don’t wait until we’re gone.”

The campaign is not only focused on national IDs. NIRA has also launched a hospital-based birth registration initiative, targeting high-volume health facilities and regional referral hospitals nationwide.

The goal is to provide a legal identity from birth, which is a critical aspect of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9 that aims for universal legal identity, including birth registration, by 2030.

“With support from the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, we are deploying registration kits to hospitals so that children can be registered as soon as they are born,” Ollama explained.

“We want mothers to go home not only with a discharge form, but also with a birth notification record — and, where possible, a National Identification Number (NIN) for their child.”

Integrating registration services into health facilities marks a strategic shift for NIRA, moving from mass periodic enrolments to continuous, event-based registration. Ollama stressed that the long-term plan is to eliminate the need for future costly mass exercises.

“We want to lock in registration at birth,” she said.

“That way, we ensure universal enrolment from day one — and the country saves significant resources in the long run.”

Alongside its domestic campaigns, NIRA is expanding efforts to reach Ugandans living abroad. Ollama revealed that successful registration drives have already been conducted in the UAE, United States, Australia, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom, with upcoming deployments planned for Germany and other countries.

“Thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are ensuring that even Ugandans in the diaspora can secure a legal identity,” she said.

International Identity Day, celebrated each year on September 16, serves as a global reminder of the importance of legal identity in accessing education, healthcare, banking and other critical services. For NIRA, it is also a moment of reflection and renewed commitment.

“This day gives us a chance to pause and ask: how far have we come in ensuring every Ugandan has a legal identity?” Ollama said.

“It is also a call to action — to complete your registration, to enrol your children, and to claim your place in the systems that serve our nation.”

Ugandans are encouraged to visit their nearest parish enrolment centre or participating health facility for registration or renewal. For diaspora outreaches, the full schedule is available on the NIRA website.