NIRA speaks out on data protection as mass ID renewals hit 3.5 million

__________________

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has dismissed public concerns over the mass collection of personal data during the recently rolled out and ongoing national identity card renewal exercise. The entity says the exercise is legal, secure and necessary for national planning and service delivery.

NIRA is mandated to issue to create, manage, maintain and operationalise the National Identification Register by registering all citizens of Uganda, registering non-citizens of Uganda who are lawfully residents in Uganda, registering births and deaths, and assigning a unique National Identification Number to every person registered.

Speaking at the Uganda Police Force headquarters in Naguru, Kampala city on Monday, June 23, 2025, Claire Ollama, the registrar at NIRA, reassured Ugandans that all personal information gathered during the ongoing exercise is protected under the Data Protection and Privacy Act.

“Each employee of NIRA signs an oath committing to safeguard citizens’ data. We only share information on a need-to-know basis, for example, when a bank seeks to verify your National Identification Number (NIN). No other personal data is shared,” Ollama said.

She also addressed fears around requests for information such as tribe and origin, stating that this is essential to confirming a person’s Ugandan citizenship, especially in border districts where indigenous communities are found in both Uganda and neighbouring countries.

“When someone tells us they are Alur from Zombo, we can confirm they are Ugandan, as opposed to an Alur from Mahagi in Congo,” Ollama explained. “This is particularly important for border tribes such as the and Basongora in Kasese and Kanungu.”

Her reassurance comes as NIRA registers a significant jump in the number of Ugandans participating in the renewal and registration exercise. Ollama revealed that the number of people who have renewed their National IDs has now risen to 3.5 million, up from 2.5 million just last week.

“This means that over a million renewals have been made in one week alone,” she said, hailing the growing public response as a sign that Ugandans are beginning to appreciate the importance of identity.

She emphasised that the goal of the exercise is to ensure that every Ugandan has a secure, verifiable, and reliable identity, which is essential for access to government services.

“Your ID is not just a card; it is a key to services such as healthcare, education, banking, inheritance, and social protection. We want each of you to be visible to your government,” she said.

Ollama further urged parents and guardians to prioritise the registration of children, warning that failing to do so could complicate family affairs in future.

“If you die intestate, your unregistered child may be forced to go through DNA tests and lengthy legal processes to prove they are your child. Why wait for that? Register them now and create a clear family tree,” she said.

She noted that registering children early also enables easier access to school admissions, scholarships, health services, and even insurance policies, many of which now require a birth certificate.

“You can’t access a birth certificate without a NIN. So, now that we are at your parish, take the time to register your child. Don’t delay your child’s fortune,” she added.

To make it easier for parents, NIRA has extended operations to weekends.

“We are now working on Saturdays. If your child is in school, bring them over during the holidays and make this a top priority on your to-do list,” she said.

Ollama also clarified that no parent should be turned away for lacking support documents such as baptism cards or hospital birth records.

“Some of our officials have wrongly made these seem mandatory. But if you know your child’s details and are willing to sign a declaration, your own NIN is enough. Citizenship is by descent. A mother’s or father’s NIN is sufficient,” she stated.