NIRA: Corrections to Registration Errors Are Free, Applicants Pay Shs200,000 for Own Changes

What the report says

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has clarified the rules on correcting national identity card registration details in Uganda. According to SoftPower News, the agency said people are not supposed to pay when a mistake was made by NIRA during the registration process itself. Instead, the fee applies only when an applicant asks to alter information that was entered correctly at the time of registration.

NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo was cited as explaining that the Shs200,000 charge is for personal changes, not for fixing authority errors. The clarification is meant to reduce confusion among applicants who may have been told to pay for any amendment to their records.

The issue matters because identity records are used widely for public services, voting, banking and other official transactions in Uganda. Clear guidance on when fees apply can affect how easily citizens correct documents and how they understand their rights during the registration and amendment process.

More broadly, national ID systems often distinguish between administrative corrections and user-requested updates, though exact procedures vary by country and agency. In this case, SoftPower News reported that NIRA is drawing that line to ensure people are not charged for errors they did not cause.