The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has unveiled a so-called grand plan for a mass ID renewal exercise by August 2025, highlighting a staggering 15.8 million national identity cards set to expire. This overblown scheme is nothing but a colossal waste of taxpayer money and a blatant effort to cover up the deep-seated incompetence and corruption within Uganda’s bureaucratic labyrinth.
NIRA’s Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, boasts about integrating iris recognition and other so-called advanced features into the new IDs. While this might appear impressive in theory, it’s nothing more than a deceptive smokescreen masking the authority’s utter failure to execute even the most basic registration tasks. Kisembo’s grandiose promises of technological upgrades and regional integration are merely diversionary tactics. The staggering revelation that 17 to 18 million Ugandans remain unregistered is a damning indictment of NIRA’s gross negligence and systemic failure.
The assertion that only 27.4 million out of 45.9 million Ugandans are registered is indicative of monumental blunders within the registration system. If Uganda’s registration system were functioning correctly, such a massive backlog would be inconceivable. Instead, the situation reflects a disorganized, bureaucratic mess where fundamental tasks have languished unresolved for years. Kisembo’s absurd projection that registering one million new Ugandans daily would take 17 years highlights NIRA’s incompetence to a grotesque degree. It’s a farcical situation where Ugandans are being subjected to prolonged delays for crucial identification services.
The so-called “upgrade” in technology is set to become another cesspool for corruption and inefficiency. The introduction of iris recognition, while ostensibly progressive, is likely to be exploited for kickbacks and procurement scandals. Considering the entrenched corruption within Uganda’s public sector, it’s hard to believe this scheme will be any different. The hollow promises of improved security and regional integration with the East African Community (EAC) are merely a façade for siphoning off funds and advancing political agendas.
Furthermore, Kisembo’s emphasis on integrating the new IDs with the national voters’ register is a transparent attempt to manipulate the 2026 elections. This mass enrollment exercise is poised to be a tool for consolidating political power under the guise of administrative efficiency. The true aim is to rig the electoral process and entrench political control, disguising these machinations as efforts to enhance identification systems.
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