Uganda Prepares for Major National ID Renewal as 15.8 Million Cards Near Expiry
By August 2025, approximately 15.8 million national identity cards in Uganda are due to expire, prompting the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to initiate a comprehensive mass enrollment exercise.
NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo announced the upcoming campaign during a recent media workshop, emphasizing its importance for both renewing expiring IDs and registering new citizens.
The mass enrollment will introduce upgraded national IDs featuring enhanced security measures, including iris recognition. This move aims to modernize the identification system and address the significant number of expiring documents.
Currently, 27.4 million Ugandans are registered, according to Kisembo, out of an estimated population of 45.9 million. The forthcoming exercise will target between 17 and 18 million Ugandans who are not yet registered. With a daily registration rate of one million new individuals, Kisembo indicated that it would take approximately 17 years to complete the registration of all unregistered citizens if the current pace continues.
The enrollment campaign will also focus on registering the 1.5 million Ugandans born each year, as reported by UBOS. Kisembo urged parents to ensure that newborns are registered to receive National Identification Numbers (NINs). National IDs are issued to individuals aged 16 and above, while younger individuals are assigned NINs.
In addition to renewing and expanding the national ID registry, the mass enrollment will support the compilation of the national voters’ register for the upcoming 2026 general elections, helping to ensure an accurate and comprehensive voter roll.
The national ID renewal exercise represents a crucial step in modernizing Uganda’s identification system and preparing for future electoral processes.
