President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s Government, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has spoken out on the expiry of national IDs, hinting on a roadmap for the renewal and mass enrollment for national identification (identity) cards.
According to Gen David Muhoozi, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, under Regulation 19(1) of the Registration of Persons Regulations, a National Identification Card is valid for 10 years from the date of issue and shall be renewable in accordance with set regulations.
On May 12, Minister Gen Muhoozi, who previously served as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the first batch of National identity Cards totaling to 15.8 million were printed and issued in 2014 and 2015 and will expire between August 2024 and June 2025, and must therefore be renewed by that time.
“The security features on the polycorbonate material used to make lD cards deteriorate progressively and are severely compromised after 10 years,” the general told Parliament presided over by deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
Besides the renewal of existing IDs, government will also register Ugandans who have clocked 18 years of age for issuance of the identification document.
On when the mass enrollment and renewal exercise of National IDs will be conducted, Muhoozi noted that that the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) will carry out the exercise starting next year, January 2023, to be precise.
On the financial cost estimates of the mass renewal and enrollment exercise for national IDs, Gen Muhoozi says government will need over Shs430bn.
Meanwhile, government is planning to increase the amount charged for National ID renewal and ‘error correction’ from Shs50,000 to Shs500,000. Minister Gen Muhoozi recently defended this government move. (Read Story Here).
