NIRA Overwhelmed as Staff Shortages Hinder National ID Registration

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, has today 1st July 2024, highlighted the shortage of staff in NIRA during a meeting before Parliament’s Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).

NIRA Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo stated that this is a critical challenge which has led to a heavy workload for existing employees and limited accessibility for Ugandans seeking to register for National IDs.

 “NIRA is present in 112 districts, but our services are not available in 24 districts and 10 cities,” Kisembo added.

Kisembo revealed that NIRA’s staffing levels have never surpassed 50% since its establishment in 2015 and this translates to a staggering ratio of one staff member for every 80,000 unregistered Ugandans.

“Some Ugandans are compelled by this to go great distances up to 80–100 kilometers in order to obtain registration,” Kisembo said.

Despite these obstacles, NIRA has made significant progress. They have registered 27.4 million people with National Identification Numbers (NINs) and issued 17.3 million cards, with a total of 20 million printed.

However, the staffing shortage threatens to hinder further progress and prevent Ugandans from obtaining their crucial identification documents.