'National ID Will Be Required for All Services' - Museveni's Govt Announces

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that soon, Ugandans will be required to present their National Identification Numbers (NIN) to access all services, both public and private.

This policy shift, which is expected to revolutionize service delivery, aims to enhance security, reduce fraud, and streamline how citizens access various essential services across the country.

Brigadier General Johnson Namanya Abaho, the Commissioner of Citizenship and Passport Control at the Ministry, revealed this development during a stakeholders’ meeting in Entebbe.

The meeting brought together officials from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), district security officers, and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) from over 15 districts in the Kampala Metropolitan area to discuss citizenship, passports, and the upcoming mass registration process.

According to Brigadier Namanya, the decision to peg access to services on the National ID is part of the government’s broader efforts to digitize and modernize its operations.

The National ID, which was first introduced in Uganda in 2014, will soon become the backbone of the country’s identification system, connecting citizens to a wide array of services, from healthcare to banking, education to utilities.

“The National ID is the key to accessing everything, from healthcare to utilities and even financial services,” Namanya stated.

The government’s plan is designed to combat fraud, improve service delivery, and provide a more efficient, centralized system for tracking and verifying citizens' identities.

The policy is also expected to provide a more secure framework for the delivery of services, reducing the potential for fraudulent activities and the misuse of public resources.

However, while the move promises to enhance efficiency, concerns have been raised regarding the challenges that may arise with the implementation of such a sweeping policy.

Delays in ID issuance, lost cards, and registration bottlenecks have been among the issues raised since the system was rolled out over a decade ago.

The Ministry has not provided a concrete timeline for the full implementation of the policy.

However, it has urged Ugandans to ensure their IDs are up to date to avoid potential difficulties in accessing services once the policy is fully rolled out.

Awareness campaigns and mobile registration drives are expected to help address the current gaps in National ID coverage.