KAMPALA, UGANDA — The Government of Uganda is set to commence the mass renewal of National Identification Cards (IDs) in May 2025, according to the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi.
Gen. Muhoozi’s announcement came in response to the report presented by the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs on their ministerial policy statement and budget estimates for the 2025/2026 financial year. The committee’s report was presented to Parliament by its Chairperson, Wilson Kajwengye, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
“The plan is to pilot on government employees starting with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA),” stated Gen. Muhoozi. He assured the legislators that the necessary equipment and software have undergone thorough testing and are ready for deployment.
The Minister also committed to providing a comprehensive report detailing the national ID renewal and registration process.
The Minister’s update addressed concerns raised by Hon. Milton Muwuma (NRM, Kigulu County South), who emphasized the urgency of ID renewal as the nation prepares for the 2026 general elections. “We will be going for nominations soon but some of us have expired IDs and this alone can disqualify someone,” Hon. Muwuma cautioned.
Hon. Isaias Ssasaga (FDC, Budadiri County East) sought clarification on the status of national IDs for primary and secondary school learners who had been registered but have yet to receive their documents.
“Are the children going to be part of the new registration process or will they be issued old IDs,” he inquired. Gen. Muhoozi responded that these learners would have the option of receiving either the existing ID format or the new IDs with enhanced security features.
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The Committee’s report highlighted a significant funding shortfall, indicating that the government requires Shs145 billion to procure blank IDs for the enrollment of over six million Ugandans and the renewal of over five million existing national IDs.
However, only Shs 24.5 billion has been allocated for this purpose in the upcoming financial year. “The committee recommends a provision of Shs120.7 billion in the 2025/2026 budget to enable NIRA complete the enrollment exercise before the 2026 general elections,” stated Hon. Kajwengye.
In a separate matter, the committee recommended the allocation of Shs 587 billion for the nationwide implementation of the sub-county policing model. The Uganda Police Force piloted this model in the Greater Masaka region during the 2023/24 financial year, with over Shs 5 billion allocated for constructing 30 model police stations and completing 11 others in the area, as well as procuring 333 motorcycles and communication equipment.
However, the committee’s report also identified a substantial funding gap of Shs587 billion for the full national rollout.
Luwero District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Brenda Nabukenya, expressed her support for the sub-county policing model and urged its prioritization. “I want to support the area where they are going to procure two motorcycles for each sub county police station. Fuel for the motorcycles should also be prioritized. Usually, we limit them because we do not provide money for fuel,” she emphasized.
Hon. Emely Kugonza (NRM, Buyanja East County) acknowledged the sub-county policing model’s innovation but raised concerns about its planning, noting the lack of adequate police posts and officer accommodation.
“I am appealing to government to do thorough planning; we need the police officers spread across but they need to be catered for otherwise, they will turn into a menance,” Hon. Kugonza cautioned.
Legislators also called for the provision of sufficient transport resources to existing police stations, citing that officers’ work is hampered by the lack of vehicles. Hon. Frank Kabuye (NUP, Kassanda County South) highlighted the dire situation in his constituency, stating that Kassanda has only one vehicle for emergency responses. “It is high time we prioritise giving means of transport but also ensure that there are funds for maintenance of the vehicles and motorcycles,” he urged.
In response to the transport challenges, Minister Muhoozi indicated that the government plans to introduce electric motorcycles as a solution to the issue of inadequate fuel supply.
