NIRA makes final-day push to clear ID backlog
The authority had brought in additional staff from Mukono, Wakiso, various divisions and other parts of the country, including Adjumani, to help meet the demand.
A NIRA official attending to people at the My Identity Expo and Symposium. (Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)
__________________ (Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is making a final push to clear a backlog of Ugandans seeking national identity cards, birth certificates and other registration services as the My Identity Expo and Symposium enters its final day at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
NIRA officials are urging people with pending identification and registration needs to come forward and take advantage of the services being offered at the three-day expo, saying additional staff have been deployed to cope with the demand.
NIRA registrar and communications official Claire Ollama said the authority would continue working through applications and clearing the backlog even after the expo closes, provided applicants meet the legal requirements for the services they seek. “We are not closing. We are here,” Ollama said, assuring applicants that those who have sought services will receive an answer. The authority has also been issuing national identity cards during the expo. Ollama said 20,000 cards had been produced on one of the previous days, with the final tally for the subsequent day still being established.
(Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)
NIRA communications officer Peter Okwalinga said the authority had brought in additional staff from Mukono, Wakiso, various divisions and other parts of the country, including Adjumani, to help meet the demand. He urged people experiencing challenges with their national identity cards or other registration services to use the opportunity provided by the expo.
Citizens call for services closer to communities
The final day also gives citizens a direct platform to raise their concerns with NIRA and other service providers through Kimeza, a public engagement session where citizens can discuss challenges, ask questions and suggest ways services can be improved.
The platform brings together NIRA and exhibitors including MTN and NSSF, allowing citizens to understand how identification documents such as birth certificates and the National Identification Number (NIN) connect them to other services. For some of those who have already accessed the expo, however, the experience has raised a broader question about how identity services can be made accessible beyond major service points.
Etima Idd Ramazan Veve, LC1 chairman of Mengo Hill in Kisenyi II Parish, came with members of his community to seek national identity services. He said the convenience of the expo should be replicated at community level, particularly for elderly people and others who struggle to travel long distances. “Our communities are complaining that this service should come to our villages or parishes,” Veve said.
Services to continue after expo
The My Identity Expo and Symposium 2026 is organised by NIRA and sponsored by MTN Uganda, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U), Tahaluf and Bank of Uganda.
The three-day event brought together institutions involved in Uganda's identification ecosystem, while giving citizens an opportunity to access multiple services and interact directly with service providers.
As the expo closes today, NIRA's immediate message to people with unresolved identification and registration needs is to come forward and make use of the services available.
For those who cannot complete their applications at the expo, the authority says its services will continue beyond the event, with pending cases subject to the relevant legal requirements.