By KT Reporter
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has renewed its call to parents and guardians to prioritise early registration of children, warning that delays in securing legal identity expose youngsters to long-term social and economic disadvantages.
NIRA Registrar Claire Olama described early registration as “the first and most fundamental step in protecting a child’s future”, noting that many parents still underestimate the importance of registering their children within the first six months after birth.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the NIRA Mukono office, Olama explained that legal identity is the gateway to essential services, including education, healthcare, social protection, bank services, passports, and future employment. Children who are not registered remain invisible in national systems, she said, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, exclusion from government programmes, and difficulties later in life when proof of citizenship is required.
She also revealed that NIRA is considering a review of its policies to introduce stronger accountability measures for parents who repeatedly ignore registration opportunities provided through mass enrolment drives and parish-level outreaches. These measures, she added, would mirror laws that enforce compulsory education.
Olama emphasised that late registration also imposes unnecessary financial strain on families. Registration within the first six months is free and includes both a birth certificate and a National Identification Number (NIN). After that period, parents pay 10,000 Shillings for children up to six years and up to 50,000 Shillings for those above 18, fees that disproportionately burden rural families living below the poverty line.
Alongside its appeal on child protection, NIRA provided an update on the ongoing issuance of national identity cards in the Greater Mukono region. According to Olama, 84,220 cards have been dispatched to Mukono District, 61,542 to Buikwe, 7,302 to Buvuma, and 43,996 to Kayunga, all printed and ready for collection.
She added that distribution is progressing steadily, with Buikwe having issued 12,139 cards, while Mukono has issued nearly 2,500. The number in Mukono is expected to rise quickly following the decentralisation of issuing points to make access easier for residents.
Mukono District Registrar Edwin Wesonga said more than 300,000 cards were renewed in the district, making immediate issuance impossible. He urged residents to be patient and to respond promptly to collection notifications, noting that delayed pick-up strains storage capacity and slows processing of new arrivals.
Currently, card issuance in Mukono is taking place in Central Division, Goma Division, Kyampisi Subcounty, and Nama Subcounty. The areas were selected based on earlier enrolment trends.
Olama also addressed concerns about delays caused by confusion over pick-up points. Many applicants registered at temporary mobile enrolment centres but expect to collect their cards from any NIRA office. To counter this, she said NIRA is upgrading its SMS notification system to provide clearer guidance.
Previous messages contained technical language that confused recipients, she said, but the revised system will use simple, direct wording to help applicants quickly identify the correct collection centres.
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