Baryomunsi: NIRA, UCC working to authenticate newly issued National IDs

By Our Reporter

The Minister for Health, Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, has revealed that the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is working with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to synchronise systems and authenticate newly issued national identity cards.

Baryomunsi, who previously served as Minister for ICT and National Guidance, acknowledged that the newly issued national IDs have not yet been fully harmonised with the relevant systems, but assured Parliament that the process is ongoing.

His remarks followed a matter of national importance raised by Hon. Paul Mwiru (NUP, Jinja South Division East) during the plenary sitting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

Mwiru expressed concern over difficulties in using his newly acquired national identity card to access services, recounting how a bank declined to accept it during an account update.

“When the bank froze my account for an update, I presented my newly acquired national ID and they told me it does not work and that I have to go to NIRA to get a letter to verify it. I found several other people in the bank who also had to verify their IDs,” Mwiru said.

He questioned the practicality of the government’s proposal to replace Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) with National Identification Numbers (NINs) for tax registration, arguing that difficulties in verifying newly issued national IDs could undermine the planned transition.

While presenting the proposal to Parliament, State Minister for Finance (Planning), Hon. Amos Lugoloobi, said adopting national identification numbers as the primary tax identifiers for individuals would broaden Uganda’s tax base, eliminate duplicate registrations and improve tax administration.

However, Mwiru’s concerns highlighted the need for reliable identification systems before the proposed changes are fully implemented.

In response, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa directed the Committee on ICT and National Guidance to ensure that the responsible ministry follows up on the matter and that the authentication process is carried out effectively.

In a separate development, Tayebwa directed the Committee on ICT and National Guidance to expedite consideration of concerns raised by internet service providers affected by UCC’s directive on unlicensed public Wi-Fi operations and report back to Parliament within one week.

On October 13, 2026, UCC ordered all unlicensed public Wi-Fi operators to switch off their services and dismantle their equipment within seven days, warning that routers could be seized and destroyed if operators failed to comply.

Tayebwa said he had received petitions from dealers in mobile hotspots challenging the directive and called on the committee to follow up on their grievances.

“The dealers have said there are continued arrests and harassment but we have already referred the matter to the committee,” Tayebwa said.

The committee is expected to examine the concerns raised by the affected dealers and report its findings within the timeframe set by the Deputy Speaker.