Africa-Press – Uganda. The Chairperson of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) Board, Joseph Biribonwa, has issued a stern warning to officials accused of soliciting bribes from Ugandans seeking to renew their national identification cards.
Biribonwa, currently leading a fact-finding mission in Bunyoro Sub-region to monitor progress of the ongoing mass ID renewal exercise, said the authority will not tolerate corruption within its ranks. His remarks come amid rising public complaints, particularly from Kiryandongo and Masindi districts, where some staff are alleged to have demanded money to provide registration forms or speed up services.
“Some people ask for money to give clients forms so they can proceed to the next desk,” Biribonwa said while meeting local stakeholders, including Resident District Commissioners and district leaders. “We appeal to the public—whoever sees these people should report them to police so that the law can take its course. These services are free of charge, except for things like change of names which are paid for.”
The national ID renewal exercise, which kicked off last month, aims to renew 15 million IDs and register an additional 17 million new applicants. So far, four million people have applied for renewals and 70,000 have registered for new IDs, according to NIRA.
“The numbers are huge. Each kit is currently handling up to 60 people a day, but we are managing. The anxiety to get new cards is high, but I believe we shall meet our target,” Biribonwa said.
In Kiryandongo, Deputy RDC Jonathan Ateirweho confirmed that at least one person had already been arrested for allegedly soliciting bribes. “These cases are very common in Bweyale, but we are closely monitoring. We won’t allow citizens to be taken advantage of,” Ateirweho said.
Biribonwa encouraged Ugandans to utilize the remaining five months of the registration window, emphasizing that access to several essential services—such as tax payments, education examinations, and land transactions—requires a valid national ID.
“People should know that without an ID, there are many services they can’t access. We urge them to use this remaining time to renew or apply for their IDs,” he said.
NIRA officials acknowledge the operational strain caused by high public turnout, especially in rural areas where only one kit may serve an entire sub-county. Biribonwa revealed that the authority plans to rotate equipment between parishes and bolster staff deployment to improve service delivery.
“We currently operate at the parish level, and people from entire sub-counties gather there for services. But we are planning to rotate these machines across parishes and communicate in advance. The numbers are slowly going down, which is a good sign that people now understand the importance of these documents,” he added.
While Biribonwa and his team are assessing progress in the Bunyoro region, other NIRA board members have been dispatched to different parts of the country.
The aim, he said, is to engage communities in familiar languages, understand the on-ground realities, and offer actionable recommendations to improve the process.
The nationwide ID renewal drive comes ahead of the 2026 general elections, where a valid national ID will be a key requirement for voter registration.
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