By George Bukenya
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) have announced that it will start the national identity cards (ID) renewal exercise for Ugandans in the diaspora next month.
According to Claire Ollama NIRA’s registrar, registration of citizens who are living and working abroad will commence on August 4th 2025 with people in Qatar and here it will end on 7t, in U.A.E it will occur between 18-24 August, in Dubai at Ugandan embassy between 25-27 of same month.
While in UK it will occur between 14-21 Septembers, whereas in USA –California State will be between 23rd to 25 September, 2025, Washington 26th -29th December, 2025.
Ollama while addressing reporters at Naguru Police Headquarters, however warned people who relinquished their Ugandan citizenship to other countries where they are staying not to dare waste time to turn up because they are not eligible and the system will reject them but those who posse dual citizenship are free to turn up.
She advises them to begin with online registration by visiting NIRA website where there’s a link something she says makes the process easy when it comes to real registration.
The registrar also calls upon Ugandans tom report the errant NIRA officials who distort money from citizens who turn up for the exercise because it’s free of charge but she clarified on those who ought to pay the UGX 200,000.
“ NIRA is only charging people who wish to make changes in their names or finding errors which originated from their side. Otherwise renewal and registration of new citizens doesn’t carry any cost. I take also this opportunity to warn head teachers who have started distorting money from parents, this is illegal and they risk being arrested and prosecuted,’’ Ollama stressed.
In May this year, NIRA rolled out the mass enrollment and renewal exercise for Ugandans here since the commencement of the exercise with over 7 million citizens have been registered some IDs have been produced and are ready for picking.