NIRA pilots national ID renewal at Vision Group

KAMPALA - The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has piloted the national ID renewal at Vision Group’s Head Offices in Kampala city.

During the Friday (May 23) event heralding the nationwide renewal exercise set to start on May 27, NIRA said there will be no changes to personal information during the exercise.

According to Gordon Kubaho, NIRA's Kampala central division registration officer, citizens will retain the original details on their expired identification cards, with the exception of their places of residence.

“The only detail we are allowing to be updated is the place of residence, as we understand that people may have changed addresses. All other information will remain unchanged,” Kubaho said. “Change of personal information will be handled under a separate arrangement in the near future.”

The renewal targets identification cards that expired in 2024, 2025, and 2026. To renew their cards, applicants are required to present their expired national ID or a valid Police report in case of a lost ID.

The new national IDs are expected to have enhanced security features, including biometric iris scanning, making them harder to forge and reducing identity fraud.

According to NIRA, the renewal exercise will run for six to 10 months and is scheduled to officially commence on May 27 in all parishes nationwide.

“We will officially launch the exercise next Tuesday. However, we began early with Vision Group because of its large number of staff and its status as a media house that can help amplify our message to the public,” Kubaho explained.

The Government has allocated over shillings 666 billion for the renewal exercise, which will cater to approximately 15.8 million renewals and 17.2 million unregistered individuals.