Parliamentarians have called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to implement electronic identification cards (e-IDs) with indefinite validity, arguing that such a measure would significantly lower costs and avoid the disruptions associated with large-scale physical card renewals.
The appeal was made during a plenary session chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, following a presentation by State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi. The minister addressed issues related to the expiry of national identification cards.
Muhoozi explained that the ministry had temporarily extended the validity of expired IDs to address immediate concerns, particularly for citizens who use them as travel documents within the East African Community (EAC).
“To provide an interim solution, the ministry issued The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Regulations, No. 67 of 2024, extending the validity of all National IDs by an additional year,” he said.
This extension ensures that IDs initially valid for 10 years will now remain valid for 11 years. The ministry has also engaged the Ministries of East African Affairs and Foreign Affairs to inform EAC member states of this temporary arrangement.
Additionally, Muhoozi announced that a nationwide mass enrollment and renewal initiative, initially planned for 2024, would soon commence. This effort aims to renew expired IDs and register eligible citizens who have not yet acquired them.
The minister defended the inclusion of expiry dates, stating that they serve critical functions such as updating security features, ensuring the accuracy of citizen data, and maintaining compliance with international standards.
“NIRA is also in the process of upgrading the National Security Information System (NSIS) to improve the security features of identification cards,” he added.
However, several MPs voiced their dissatisfaction with the current system. Hon. Basil Bataringaya (Kashari North County) criticized the practice of assigning expiry dates to IDs and urged the introduction of non-expiring e-IDs. He also highlighted challenges in obtaining birth certificates in rural communities.
Hon. Agnes Kirabo (National Youth Representative) recommended decentralizing the issuance of ID renewals and birth certificates to the parish level to improve accessibility.
Bugiri Municipality MP, Hon. Asuman Basalirwa, called on the minister to invoke Section 69(4) of the Registration of Persons Act, which empowers him to set the validity period of IDs. Basalirwa suggested extending the validity period significantly or eliminating expiration dates altogether.
“Instead of limiting IDs to a 10-year period, you should use your authority to prescribe much longer durations,” he argued.
Gen. Muhoozi assured lawmakers that the forthcoming mass enrollment and renewal exercise would be the last of its kind before transitioning to non-expiring e-IDs. He emphasized that this shift would reduce costs and minimize inconveniences for citizens.
In September 2024, the ministry announced plans for a nationwide ID mass enrollment and renewal drive aimed at providing National Identification Numbers (NINs) to approximately 17.2 million unregistered Ugandans, including both newborns and adults.
Pre-registration for the exercise, initially slated for October 2024, was postponed, with the full rollout rescheduled to January 2025.
