The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has urged all Ugandans who are not yet registered on the national identification register to enrol, saying only about 75 percent of the population is currently captured.
NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo said Uganda has registered approximately 35.58 million people, representing about 74.9 percent of the population. This leaves millions of Ugandans yet to be included in the national register, despite the global 2030 target for universal legal identity.
Kisembo made the remarks while announcing the Identity Expo and Symposium 2026, which will take place from September 24 to 26 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala.
The event is expected to bring together government institutions, private-sector players and citizens to discuss the importance of national identification and its growing role in accessing public and private services.
“We want everybody on the register,” Kisembo said.
NIRA launched its mass enrolment exercise on March 27, 2025, as part of efforts to expand coverage of the national identification system.
Kisembo said identification has become increasingly important as a person’s identity is linked to various aspects of daily life, including mobile phone registration, financial services, taxation and access to government programmes.
The symposium will also address issues surrounding contested and migratory identities, with NIRA inviting Ugandans whose nationality or identity has previously been challenged to share their experiences.
Other discussions will focus on birth and death registration and the contribution of reliable identification systems to economic development.
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) said the ongoing integration of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) with the National Identification Number (NIN) is intended to improve identification, curb fraud and make it easier for government to trace transactions.
Christine Mirembe, Assistant Commissioner of Client Services at URA, said the authority has begun mapping taxpayers’ TINs to their NINs.
She clarified, however, that linking a TIN to a NIN does not mean that every Ugandan will automatically become a taxpayer.
“The NIN is coming as a unique identifier for the government,” Mirembe said, explaining that the integration will enable government agencies to link transactions and identify individuals more accurately.
She advised taxpayers who already have TINs to provide their NINs if they have not yet done so. Those who have already submitted their NINs, she said, should wait to be contacted as the integration process progresses.
Mirembe added that the integration is expected to strengthen security because the NIN is backed by biometric information, including photographs and fingerprints.
She encouraged Ugandans to voluntarily update their registration details ahead of the full implementation of the integrated identification system.
Philip Andrew Wabulya, Executive Director of Risk and Strategy at the Bank of Uganda, said harmonising identification across government and financial institutions could help tackle fraud, money laundering and multiple borrowing.
Wabulya noted that individuals currently use different forms of identification, including national identity cards, passports and other documents. This can make it difficult for institutions to determine whether records held under different identities belong to the same individual.
He said a unified identification system would allow financial institutions to verify customers more quickly and accurately.
The system could also improve credit assessment by helping lenders identify borrowers who attempt to obtain multiple loans using different forms of identification.
“Harmonising identity makes risk visible,” Wabulya said.
He added that a reliable identification system could promote financial inclusion by speeding up account opening and reducing paperwork required by financial institutions.
Wabulya also emphasised the importance of data protection and consent, saying access to information held by NIRA should be properly authorised by individuals through secure authentication mechanisms.
He said harmonised identification could ultimately contribute to lower borrowing costs, faster customer onboarding, reduced fraud and greater investor confidence.
Kisembo urged Ugandans who have not yet registered to take advantage of the ongoing mass enrolment exercise.
She said accurate population data is essential for effective government planning, resource allocation and service delivery.
She also encouraged citizens to provide accurate information during registration, noting that the effectiveness of the national register depends on the quality and reliability of the data collected.
The Identity Expo and Symposium 2026 is expected to provide a platform for government agencies, financial institutions, private companies and citizens to examine how a trusted national identification system can improve access to services, support economic activity and strengthen national planning.
