NIRA warns aliens against registering for national IDs

KAMPALA - The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has warned foreign nationals residing in Uganda against attempting to register for the ongoing mass enrolment and renewal of National Identification cards.

While addressing the media at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala city, on Monday, June 30, 2025, Claire Ollama, a registrar with NIRA, issued a passionate, multilingual appeal urging citizens to support the exercise, but firmly cautioned aliens against exploiting Uganda’s hospitality to fraudulently acquire national documents.

“This registration is strictly for Ugandan citizens,” Ollama said. “It is not open to refugees or foreigners, regardless of how long you have lived here or whom you are married to. Longevity of stay does not equate to citizenship.”

In a spirited address, delivered in English, Kiswahili, and multiple local languages including Acholi and Juba Arabic, Ollama used both data and sentiment to explain the scope and purpose of the national exercise, now in its fifth week.

She emphasised that 50% of Uganda’s population, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), are children under the age of 18. She called on parents, school managers, madrasa instructors, Sunday school leaders, orphanage directors, and other child-centric stakeholders to prioritise the registration of children.

“As a mother, I believe the first patriotic gift you can give your child is an identity,” Ollama said. “Let us work together in the next six months to ensure every child in this country gets registered.”

She called on community leaders to be proactive: “If the NIRA team has not yet reached your school, orphanage, or Sunday school, please reach out. We can create a specialised arrangement to register the children in their safe spaces.”

Turning her focus to non-citizens, Ollama delivered a strong message to individuals from neighbouring countries like Sudan, Eritrea, Rwanda, and South Sudan, some of whom have blended into Ugandan communities after fleeing war, marrying Ugandan nationals, or engaging in informal trade.

“If you are a refugee or a foreigner living here, you must first formalise your stay through the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC),” she said.

“Only after receiving a certificate of naturalisation or registration can you be eligible to apply for a national ID.”

Addressing refugees specifically, she noted that many who once resided in settlement camps in Kiryandongo, Yumbe, Arua, Masindi, and Hoima have now merged into urban settings, making enforcement more difficult.

“A refugee remains a refugee unless their legal status changes,” she said. “If you came here because of conflict, you are protected under OPM systems. Get a refugee card and use that to access services; you do not need a Ugandan National ID.”

She also warned patriotic Ugandans against lending their identity cards to foreigners: “Don’t steal your country’s citizenship. If you give your ID to a foreigner to help them fake an identity, you are being unpatriotic.”