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As the Government gears up to issue national identity cards and identification numbers (NINs) to its citizens, over 100,000 people have applied for jobs related to the endeavour.

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) launched a recruitment drive to hire over 10,000 workers last week.

The demand for these positions is evident, with a staggering over 100,000 people applying for the available jobs, according to NIRA executive director Rosemary Kisembo.

Kisembo says the recruitment process, which commenced on February 27, 2024, has more eight days to go.

She made the remarks while addressing journalists at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala.

Successful candidates, who will be stationed across the country's 10,717 parishes, can expect to earn approximately shillings 500,000 for each of the 10 months.

To oversee the recruitment and subsequent issuance of NINs, key government officials including Resident District Commissioners, chief administrative officers, LC5 chairpersons and NIRA experts will be involved.

Kisembo emphasized the importance of equitable representation across all parishes, aiming to enlist at least one individual from each parish.

The recruitment drive is part of a broader effort to provide national ID cards to Ugandan citizens, especially those who missed out during the initial launch of the exercise.

Kisembo highlighted that only 27 million out of an estimated 45 million Ugandans have acquired national IDs thus far. Funding gaps had previously hindered NIRA's ability to enroll an additional 17.2 million persons.

In a bid to address funding challenges, the finance ministry released shillings 192 billion to kickstart the National Identification renewal project. This initiative aligns with the Government's commitment to streamline administrative processes and enhance security measures.

Acknowledging the importance of collaboration, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has pledged its support to assist NIRA in the mass enrolment and registration process. CID boss Maj. Tom Magambo emphasized the shared goal of ensuring safety and security through comprehensive identification systems.

Training sessions have been conducted to equip CID officers with the necessary skills to facilitate the registration process seamlessly. The emphasis is on efficiency and accuracy to ensure a swift and effortless experience for all citizens.

Despite funding challenges and pending mass renewals of national identification cards, NIRA remains committed to its mandate of providing reliable identification services to the Ugandan population.