NIRA seeks thousands of workers to clear ID backlog

What the report says

Uganda’s National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has told Parliament that more than 5.4 million national identity cards remain uncollected, highlighting a major backlog in card distribution and related registration services. The issue was raised before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), where NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo said the problem is tied largely to staff shortages after a temporary mass enrolment and renewal exercise ended.

According to the testimony reported by Watchdog Uganda, NIRA is seeking to expand its approved staffing from 571 to 998 positions and to hire about 2,700 temporary workers for 18 months. Kisembo said the authority currently has 418 filled posts, including 201 employees who directly deal with clients. She also said NIRA has printed about 15.4 million new cards, but only around 10 million have been issued.

The authority said the temporary workforce would help finish renewals, register people not yet on the national register, handle changes of personal details, and support birth and death registration. NIRA also said it would still take months to clear the outstanding cards even with extra staff. The agency’s workload has grown as Uganda has expanded NIRA’s mandate under recent legal changes, including additional civil registration functions.

MPs on COSASE questioned whether poor service standards and system delays were also worsening the situation. The backlog matters because identity documents are needed for access to services such as driving permits and other official processes, and delays can affect citizens’ ability to complete everyday administrative tasks.