Child Registration in Greater Mukono Still Below 50%, NIRA Warns.

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has raised concern over persistently low child registration levels in the Greater Mukono sub-region, with coverage for newly born children still below 50 per cent.

Claire Olama, the coordinator of the registration exercise and the NIRA officer in charge of Buikwe District, says that the most affected areas include Seeta–Naggalama (Ssi-Bukunja) and Ggoma, where officials say many children remain unregistered and therefore locked out of essential services.

“We urge parents and guardians to use the holiday period to register all children. Without a national identity, they are locked out of essential services,” NIRA officials said.

NIRA emphasised that registering a child before six months guarantees a free birth certificate, while delays attract fees ranging between UGX 10,000 and UGX 50,000, depending on the child’s age.

Meanwhile, the authority has announced significant progress in the ongoing national ID renewal and issuance exercise, with Greater Mukono now fully entering the card issuance stage after months of registration.

So far, 196,064 national ID cards have been dispatched across the sub-region—84,224 to Mukono, 61,542 to Buikwe, 43,996 to Kayunga, and 7,302 to Buvuma.

Issuance has already begun, with Buikwe leading at 12,139 cards issued. Mukono has so far handed out about 2,500 cards, a number NIRA expects to rise following the recent decentralisation of operations in the district.

“We registered people for over six months, and the volume was very high. Issuance will naturally take some time because we cannot give out all cards at once,” officials explained, calling for patience.

Mukono district alone is handling more than 300,000 card renewals, a workload NIRA says cannot be completed instantly. The authority is urging citizens whose cards are ready to collect them promptly to ease congestion.

With NIRA’s online self-service platforms currently under upgrade, citizens can confirm card readiness through two channels: Waiting for an SMS notification specifying the collection point, or visiting the district NIRA office for real-time updates

The authority says efforts are underway to improve the clarity of SMS alerts after complaints of confusing wording.

NIRA also highlighted challenges caused by residents attempting to collect cards from locations different from their registration points—especially those who registered during mobile outreaches. Clearer SMS messages will soon indicate the exact office where each card is kept.

Responding to public concerns about difficulties scanning the redesigned national ID cards, NIRA reassured citizens that the cards remain fully legal and operational. The temporary issue stems from an ongoing upgrade to the system used by third-party verification platforms.

“The card is valid. What is delayed is the ability to electronically read it in some systems. But legally, the document is fully recognised, and service providers should accept it,” officials emphasised.

NIRA noted that both old and new national IDs will operate concurrently until the older versions naturally phase out, similar to transitions with passports and driving permits.

To widen access, the government has extended the parish-level registration and renewal campaign by three months. NIRA warned that lacking a national ID restricts individuals from services such as banking, travel, social protection programs like SAGE, and access to academic documentation.

“It takes two to tango. The government has done its part by bringing the service closer. Citizens should also take up their civic responsibility and register,” officials urged.

They added that while citizenship is permanent, the national ID must be renewed because it doubles as a travel document aligned with ICAO international standards. Ugandans can currently travel to several regional destinations using only a national ID, making periodic renewal essential.

The NIRA Registry Mukono district, Edrine Wesonge, added that they are now waiting for people to come and pick up their cards because the turnout has so far been low.

He also warned people who have delayed renewing their national IDs, as well as those who were newly registered under this program.