15 NIRA Staff Arrested Over ID Card Extortion, Minister Muhoozi Tells Parliament

At least 15 staff members attached to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) have been arrested over allegations of extorting money from Ugandans seeking national identity cards, Parliament heard on Tuesday.

The arrests include both permanent and temporary NIRA employees—among them IT officers—who are accused of soliciting bribes during the ongoing mass national ID registration and renewal exercise.

“The suspects were arrested from various districts, including Kyotera, Busia, Alebtong, Kasese, Mityana, Wakiso, Mukono, and Mubende,” said Gen. David Muhoozi, State Minister for Internal Affairs.

“Many of them are currently out on police bond as investigations continue, but prosecutions are being delayed due to a lack of cooperating witnesses.”

Muhoozi explained that some staff members were caught illegally selling free registration forms and charging applicants to fast-track processing—acts he described as outright corruption.

To counter such malpractice, NIRA has issued official uniforms to its staff to help the public distinguish between genuine employees and brokers masquerading as officials, especially in rural areas. “We have seen brokers and middlemen soliciting bribes from people who cannot read or write,” Muhoozi said. “We urge the public to report such cases through our official channels: info@nira.go.ug or toll-free hotline 0800 211 700.”

The mass registration exercise, which began on May 27, 2025, has already received over 9.1 million applications, according to figures presented by the minister. These include: 8,254,778 renewals. 834,020 new applications. 33,160 children who have just reached the eligible age for ID issuance.

Muhoozi assured the public that ID card production is ongoing, and that delays are being addressed. He noted that while the national identification number (NIN) is permanent, the physical ID card must be renewed every 10 years due to biometric and technological changes.

Several Members of Parliament, however, expressed frustration with the efficiency of the process. Christine Apolot (Kumi District Woman MP, NRM) said, “Many people registered years ago and still don’t have their IDs.”

Karim Masaba (Industrial Division, Independent) cited frequent data entry errors, while Charles Bakkabulindi (Workers Representative) criticised the long waiting times for both renewals and new cards.

In response to public complaints, Muhoozi said staff implicated in extortion have already faced disciplinary action, including suspensions and terminations. “We continue to receive reports of people paying bribes to skip queues or access services that are supposed to be free. This is unacceptable,” he said.

The minister also warned against the illegal practice of confiscating national IDs as collateral, stressing that the cards remain the property of the individual cardholders and cannot be held by third parties under any circumstances.

As investigations continue, the government has pledged to strengthen oversight and public reporting mechanisms to protect Ugandans and ensure that access to national IDs remains free, fair, and efficient.

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