The National Information Registration Authority (NIRA) in Uganda has confirmed significant challenges in carrying out mass enrollment and renewal of national identification cards due to funding shortages.
NIRA’s Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, informed the Committee of Defence and Internal Affairs on October 25, 2023, that the authority had not been able to commence the mass enrollment of 17.2 million individuals, and there were pending renewals for 15.8 million national ID cards set to expire in August 2024.
This delay is attributed to the absence of an approved budget of Shs666.85 billion, designated for the installation of the National Security Information System (NSIS).
The project, which was planned to start as a pilot in June 2023 with a full rollout in August 2023, including procurement and recruitment of registration assistants, has been stalled due to the lack of funding or a commitment letter for funds.
In addition to this, the Electoral Commission’s electoral roadmap requires NIRA to submit the register of citizens to facilitate the compilation, maintenance, revision, and update of the voters’ register by September 2024 in preparation for the 2026 general elections.
Committee Chairperson Hon. Wilson Kajwengye expressed concern about NIRA’s readiness to provide a credible data source to the Electoral Commission and questioned the delay. In response, Kisembo assured that some aspects of the project, such as capacity building, had started, and once funding was secured, procurement of hardware and integration would commence. NIRA has engaged the Ministry of Finance for funding, and it is considering seeking approval for supplementary funding of Shs370 billion through domestic borrowing.
Members of the Committee, including Hon. Naboth Namanya and Hon. Alex Niyonsaba, raised concerns about the timeline and potential project delivery issues. Kisembo stated that NIRA would raise a red flag for project funding by January 31, 2024, if no funds had been allocated by then. She emphasized that without funds, it would be challenging to acquire necessary hardware for mass enrollment, and a contingency plan would be needed.
In summary, NIRA’s plans for mass enrollment and ID card renewals in Uganda have been hampered by a lack of funding, potentially impacting the Electoral Commission’s preparations for the 2026 general elections. The authority is actively seeking funding but has set a deadline for raising concerns if funds are not secured by January 31, 2024.