Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has urged people in Buganda and across the country to collect their national identity cards, saying this is critical for effective government planning and the implementation of social and economic development programmes.
Mayiga said Ugandans responded well to the recent registration exercise and should show the same commitment by picking their completed identity cards.
He made the remarks while receiving a delegation from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) at Bulange, Mengo. The delegation was led by Stephen Robert Kasumba, the authority’s monitoring and evaluation manager, and included Milly Birungi, the assistant registration officer in charge of Lubaga division, and Geoffrey Serunjogi, a registration assistant.
Dressed in a blue suit and tie with red and blue stripes and a cream long-sleeved shirt, Mayiga said identification was deeply rooted in Buganda culture.
“It is part of our culture as Baganda to identify our children and grandchildren. We name our children after our forefathers and grandparents. It is therefore important for every person to be identified, including their tribe and nationality, to support proper economic planning and the fair use of public resources,” Mayiga said.
During the meeting, Kasumba handed over renewed national identity cards to Mayiga and his wife, Margaret. The Katikkiro asked the NIRA team to return to Bulange with the renewed cards of other Kabaka’s officials. The delegation also agreed to schedule a convenient time to deliver the renewed national identity card to Kabaka Mutebi at his palace in Kireka-Banda.
Mayiga thanked NIRA for conducting the registration and renewal exercise, noting that many Ugandans had turned up in large numbers. He said the national identity card had become essential for accessing key services such as school admissions, applications for driving permits, and financial and economic transactions.
He also commended NIRA for deploying improved technology to enhance the security of the national identity cards and reduce fraud and duplication.
Accompanied by other Buganda officials, including Israel Kitooke, the kingdom’s information minister, and David Ntege, the under-secretary in the Katikkiro’s office, Mayiga later presented himself for biometric scanning of his fingerprints.
Kasumba defended the expiry of national identity cards, saying renewal every 10 years was mandatory because technology evolves and must be updated to safeguard the cards against fraud.
“Technology keeps changing, and renewal is necessary to strengthen security features and prevent duplication,” Kasumba said.
He added that the activation of new national identity cards would begin before 9 January to ensure uninterrupted access to social services. He urged parents to register their children and collect their cards, noting that every citizen is required to have a National Identification Number (NIN) to access public services, including participation in the 2026 general elections.
Kasumba revealed that 6,152,753 people had been newly registered, while 13,365,388 cards were renewals. He said 636,942 first-time applicants had already received their national identity cards, 32,351 people had changed their particulars, and data migration from the old system had reached 21,463,874 records out of an estimated 28.5 million.
