Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Expired national identification cards will remain valid for an additional year due to delays in the government’s renewal process.
Most national IDs were issued between 2004 and 2005, with an initial validity of ten years. However, the government has faced challenges in coordinating with contractors to produce new ID cards, resulting in many Ugandans potentially carrying expired identification until the new cards are available.
State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, informed the Committee of Defence in Parliament that the government is behind schedule on processing the new IDs.
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) recently indicated that approximately 15.8 million IDs are expected to expire by August of next year.
Originally, the mass registration and renewal process was scheduled to begin on June 1 and end on September 30, 2025. However, the enrollment exercise has been delayed by a month and now faces an indefinite postponement. NIRA’s Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, cited unforeseen circumstances as the reason for this delay.
“The mass enrollment and renewal exercise was set to start on June, 1, 2024 but due to unforeseen delays in the procurement process, the exercise didn’t take off. Nevertheless, by the end of July, 2024, the exercise will commence,” Kisembo said in June.
Also Read: Ugandans with expired national IDs can still travel across borders
In July, the Internal Affairs Ministry announced an additional postponement, allowing citizens with expired national IDs to continue using them for travel across East Africa.
According to ministry spokesperson Mr. Simon Mundeye, the national identification number (NIN) on the expired cards remains valid, making it a crucial element of the IDs. This extension ensures that individuals can still use their current IDs for travel despite the delays in issuing new ones.
The forthcoming IDs will feature upgraded elements, including iris recognition and other enhancements.
