NIRA register reaches 36.15 million people
NIRA is stepping up efforts to close Uganda’s legal identity gap, with over nine million people still unregistered despite 36.15 million already enrolled. The authority says its upcoming My Identity Expo and National Symposium will promote birth registration and access to legal identity services.
Vision Group Chief Executive Officer, Don Wanyama (5th right) poses for a group photo with officials from National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) during Vision Group CEO’s courtesy call to NIRA headquarters in Kololo, Kampala on August 27, 2026. (Courtesy)
_________________ National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo. (Courtesy)
In a renewed push to promote legal identity and accelerate birth registration across Uganda, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has organised My Identity Expo and National Symposium.
The September 24 to 26, event, which is expected to bring together government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector, comes at a time when over nine million Ugandans remain unregistered, despite NIRA having enrolled 36.15 million people, representing nearly 77% of the country’s population, according to NIRA executive director Rosemary Kisembo.
The symposium aims to increase public awareness about the importance of legal identity, encourage early registration of children and boost uptake of birth registration services, which are critical for accessing education, healthcare, financial services and other opportunities.
Kisembo says the authority is required to register about nine to 10 million unregistered people, record about 1.5 million births and 300,000 deaths annually, renew six million identity cards and process changes of particulars for about 90,000 people every year.
“We have 36.15 million people on the register,” Kisembo says, adding that the figure represents close to 77% of Uganda’s population. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) put Uganda’s population at 45.9 million in the 2024 National Population and Housing Census.
Understaffing
Kisembo says NIRA has 418 staff in post against an approved structure of 571 staff. For comparison, she said the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), which has a countrywide footprint, has 4,932 staff in post.
“In this sense, in terms of service delivery, I dare say that we are the largest service provider in this country.”
Vision Group Chief Executive Officer, Don Wanyama (right) presenting a package to National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo (left). (Courtesy)
NIRA acknowledges challenges
Kisembo, who was speaking during Vision Group CEO’s courtesy call to NIRA headquarters in Kololo, Kampala on August 27, 2026, acknowledged that the authority continues to face challenges, including bribery and extortion.
“Does it have challenges? Absolutely,” she said. “Is there bribery and extortion? Yes, there is. And we are doing our best to mitigate it.”
She also addressed concerns surrounding identity card verification and the ability of institutions to connect to NIRA’s systems. Kisembo said NIRA exposed its application programming interface (API) to 109 institutions in April 2026, alongside guidelines to enable organisations to prepare for the new system.
According to Kisembo, MTN was among the first major institutions to complete its side of the interface, finishing the process on June 30, 2026.
Vision Group partnership
Wanyama, who is also Vision Group’s Managing Director, reaffirmed the media organisation’s longstanding partnership with the authority.
“On behalf of the Vision Group, I want to appreciate the partnership we have had with NIRA over the years,” he said. Wanyama cited the recent Bride & Groom Expo, where NIRA took members of the public through the process of a civil marriage.
Wanyama said feedback from the event showed that about 70% of people who witnessed the activation identified it as their biggest takeaway.
“It was not just because of the excitement, but also because of the information that the
public was able to get,” Wanyama said.
Upcoming expo
NIRA’s My Identity Expo and National Symposium, scheduled for September 24 to 26, seeks to increase public understanding of the importance of legal identity and its role in accessing services and opportunities.
The event’s expected outcomes include increased public awareness, greater understanding of early registration of children, increased registrations and stronger participation from Government, development partners, civil society and the private sector.