Uganda National ID registration and renewal to begin May 27 – Muhoozi

After over two years of delay, the mass enrolment and renewal of National Identification (ID) cards will officially begin on May 27, 2025, across all 146 districts in Uganda, the minister of state for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, has announced.

Speaking during the launch at the ministry headquarters in Kampala, Muhoozi said the exercise follows a successful pilot phase that began May 2 and ends on May 26. It is being led by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), the agency responsible for maintaining the country’s National Identification Register.

Muhoozi said the pilot phase allowed them to test systems, equipment, and procedures and government is now ready to commence full-scale operations.

The exercise targets over 33 million Ugandans, including 15.8 million whose IDs will expire by June 2025 and 17.2 million unregistered citizens. The government aims to complete the process before August 12, 2025, when the grace period for expired IDs ends.

Muhoozi emphasized the role of national identification in planning, security, and service delivery, and called on Ugandans to participate truthfully and promptly. The project follows major technological investments.

In July 2024, NIRA signed a contract with UAE-based Tahaluf Al Emarat Technical Solutions, which supplied: 5,665 biometric registration kits (delivered by January 2025) Two high-speed card production machines (installed in March 2025), each capable of printing 100,000 laser-engraved cards daily.

The system also introduces online pre-registration, launching the same day as the nationwide rollout. From May 27, registration teams will be deployed at every parish, operating under a rotating schedule coordinated with local governments.

Key services and fees

Services to be offered include free renewals of expired IDs, new registrations for both children and adults (free), change or correction of particulars Shs 200,000. Replacement of lost cards will cost Shs 50,000.

Applicants must provide proper documentation. Renewals require the original or copy of the expired ID, or a police letter for lost cards while first-time applicants must present proof of parentage or ancestral origin verified by local authorities.

Muhoozi warned against duplicate registration, urging those with existing National Identification Numbers (NINs) to use the change of particulars service instead of registering afresh. Processing is expected to take up to four weeks initially, but reduce to two weeks as the system stabilises.