Lwengo Leaders Close NIRA Office Over Extortion Claims

What the report says

Lwengo district leaders have shut down a National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) office after residents complained they were being asked to pay unofficial fees to obtain national identity cards. According to Nile Post, the alleged charges ranged from Shs5,000 to Shs10,000, and district chairperson Abasi Kizito said repeated reports of extortion prompted the closure.

Kizito said residents had told local officials that people without money were being turned away or told to come back later. He also said attempts to reach the office’s in-charge, Rose Kisule, for an explanation had not been successful, and that she had not responded to letters inviting her to meetings with district leaders. The district said the office would remain closed until NIRA’s leadership appoints another official to serve residents.

Lwengo Resident District Commissioner Immy Kateera separately said his office had received similar complaints and had tried to summon Kisule. He also said security had arrested a man in Mitete, Sembabule District, suspected of impersonating a NIRA official in Lwengo and using forged documents. Nile Post reported that authorities have not linked that suspect directly to the extortion allegations.

The closure could affect access to identity services in the area, where national IDs are needed for many public and private services. The case adds to broader concerns about service delivery and accountability in identity registration processes, though NIRA’s national leadership had not publicly responded in the report.