At least 11 individuals have been apprehended over corruption-related offenses linked to the ongoing National ID registration and renewal exercise, which has so far benefited over nine million Ugandans within four months, according to the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Hon. David Muhoozi.
While delivering a statement to Parliament on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, regarding allegations of extortion during the National ID registration and renewal process, Minister Muhoozi revealed that those arrested include temporary registration assistants, four employees of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), and fraudsters posing as NIRA officials to swindle money from the public.
“NIRA is deeply concerned about the growing number of extortion and bribery complaints reported at service centres, involving impersonators, temporary registration personnel, and other individuals,” Muhoozi said.
The minister detailed several corrupt behaviors witnessed at registration points, such as selling free registration forms, demanding bribes for queue-jumping, and soliciting money at different stages of the process.
He cited districts such as Mubende, Mityana, Mukono, Wakiso, Busia, Kyotera, and Abim as being heavily affected by these unethical practices. In Mubende District, for example, four temporary assistants were apprehended, prosecuted, and had their contracts revoked.
In Kyotera, Muhoozi pointed to a specific incident involving a NIRA staffer, a trader, and a healthcare worker allegedly collaborating to exploit members of the public.
The minister also denounced brokers and intermediaries pretending to be NIRA officials who collect bribes from unsuspecting citizens. In some instances, he noted, even local leaders were found to be soliciting money under false claims.
To counter these issues, the government has rolled out free online registration forms, launched a pre-registration portal to reduce congestion, and set up toll-free helplines and email contacts to allow the public to report cases. Additionally, NIRA staff have been issued with identifiable uniforms and ID badges to help the public distinguish genuine officers.
“We emphasize once again that registration and renewal of National IDs is entirely free. We urge all Ugandans to remain vigilant, refuse to pay bribes, and promptly report any irregular activities,” Muhoozi reiterated.
He added that since the launch of the exercise in May, more than 9.1 million citizens have already submitted applications for either fresh registration or renewal of their National Identification cards.
However, Members of Parliament expressed concern over challenges hampering the process, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Kalangala Woman MP, Hon. Helen Nakimuli, noted that corruption in island regions is exacerbated by logistical difficulties.
“Extortion manifests in the form of people being forced to travel from one island to another for registration services. The officials often claim they lack transport facilitation to reach all locations,” she said.
Similarly, Amuru Woman MP, Hon. Lucy Akello, highlighted that the long distances between homes and registration centres were providing loopholes for corruption.
“I was in Okidi, Atiak Sub-county, where I received a request to help hire a generator so that NIRA staff could travel further inland to register residents, particularly the elderly. They are operating with inadequate resources,” Hon. Akello explained.
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