The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has begun distributing upgraded national identity cards to Ugandans who applied for renewals, marking a significant milestone in the country’s mass enrollment and modernization effort.
NIRA Registrar Claire Ollama confirmed on Monday that over 100,000 new ID cards have been printed and dispatched to district offices across the country. She urged applicants to be patient as more notifications are being sent out to guide them on collection procedures.
“Ugandans will receive messages indicating where to pick their national ID cards,” Ollama said. “They must collect them from the stations where their biometric data was initially captured.”
The new IDs come with state-of-the-art security features aimed at curbing counterfeiting and streamlining data verification. These include Multiple Laser Images (MLI), which display different visuals depending on the viewing angle, and a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) for instant scanning—similar to that used on passports.
Additionally, each ID carries a two-dimensional barcode to allow for quick retrieval of personal data using smartphones or scanning devices.
NIRA plans to introduce iris biometrics to further strengthen identity validation in the future.
The cards are produced using durable polycarbonate material and will have a 10-year validity period.
This distribution is part of NIRA’s ongoing nationwide enrollment and renewal exercise, which began on May 27, 2025. The campaign targets the renewal of 15.8 million expired national IDs and registration of 17.2 million new applicants, including Ugandans turning 16 and those previously unregistered.
Initial registration and renewal remain free of charge, but applicants will incur fees for replacing lost IDs or making changes to personal details.
NIRA has urged all eligible citizens to take part in the exercise to secure their place in the national database and access essential services.
