Over 448,080 students get NINs in latest NIRA registration drive

At least 448,080 students have so far benefitted from the ongoing campaign to register all learners with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).

Another 74,501 were able to receive national identity cards, NIRA executive director Rosemary Kisembo, said on Monday.

She added that the registration process has been accelerated in the last few days through several interventions in their service delivery, including opening additional registration centres at Boma grounds, in all cities across the country and ensuring that NIRA staff work through the seven-day period of the week.

Must-have document

A national ID is a must-have for every citizen of Uganda and is required before accessing services such as renewing driving permits and passports.

Recently, the Government added having a national identification number (NIN) as one of the requirements for learners in lower secondary (Senior One to three), for them (learners) to participate in continuous assessment (CA).

According to the education ministry, every subject in the curriculum has a component of CA, without which learners will not be graded in that subject by UNEB at the end of the cycle (UCE).

Asked what will happen to learners who don’t register by the deadline day on January 31, Kisembo clarified that their efforts will continue until all those eligible for registration.

 “It is our mandate to register all Ugandans,” she said.

According to NIRA, the registration of learner's project has so far amassed a total of 10,208,116 applications; out of these 7,113,537 learners were assigned NINs since the registration process was started in 2017.

How to register for NIN

Faridah Nassozi, the NIRA client relations officer, said learners who desire to be registered are expected to present a copy of their parents' national ID, if alive or a copy of the relative’s national ID if both parents are deceased. They must also present a duly filled and signed NIRA enrolment/ registration form, filled on behalf of the learner by either the parent or the guardian as well as make a physical presence at a NIRA office to have their biometrics (face and fingerprints) captured.

However, learners above the age of 18 years need extra requirements, which include an LC1 recommendation letter approved by the Gombolola Security Officer or District Security Officer.

Also needed is a copy of the parents' national ID, if alive or a copy of a blood relative’s national ID; if both parents are deceased, a duly filled and signed NIRA enrolment (Form 3), in addition to presenting themselves to a NIRA office for the capture of their biometrics.