The government of Uganda is gearing up for a mass renewal of national identification cards, slated to commence in May 2025, as Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen.
David Muhoozi, addresses rising concerns from lawmakers about the validity of ID cards ahead of the pivotal 2026 general elections. With over five million IDs waiting to be renewed, the process aims to ensure all eligible citizens are properly registered and prepared for the upcoming electoral cycle, despite budget constraints that could hinder the rollout.
In a recent parliamentary session, Gen. Muhoozi responded to calls for urgent ID renewals, particularly from Hon. Milton Muwuma of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who highlighted that expired IDs could disqualify candidates during the nomination process.
“We will be going for nominations soon, but some of us have expired IDs and this alone can disqualify someone,” Muwuma stated.
The discussion also touched on the status of primary and secondary school learners registered for IDs but who have yet to receive them. Hon. Isaias Ssasaga from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) pressed for clarity.
“Are the children going to be part of the new registration process or will they be issued old IDs?” In response, Muhoozi assured that young learners would have the option to receive either the enhanced new IDs or the existing ones.
Despite the urgency surrounding the ID renewal, the government faces significant financial hurdles, requiring Shs145 billion to procure the necessary blank ID cards to enroll over six million citizens and renew more than five million IDs.
However, only Shs24.5 billion has been allocated for this initiative in the upcoming financial year, raising concerns about the feasibility of the proposed timeline.
