The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Buliisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hundreds of Congolese nationals have been blocked from registering for Ugandan national identity cards during the ongoing mass ID renewal exercise in Buliisa District.
According to information obtained by Uganda Radio Network (URN) from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), many Congolese citizens have been crossing into Uganda through Buliisa District—which shares a border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—to illegally participate in the registration and renewal process.
Joseph Biribonwa, Chairperson of the NIRA Board, confirmed that their intelligence teams and staff on the ground had successfully intercepted and blocked a number of Congolese nationals attempting to acquire Ugandan IDs.
Biribonwa revealed that some individuals of Congolese origin were denied registration or had their existing IDs confiscated after being identified as non-citizens. He added that investigations are underway into how some of them previously acquired Ugandan IDs, which have since expired.
He noted that NIRA has established a special verification committee and deployed robust surveillance to ensure that only eligible Ugandans participate in the exercise. Biribonwa also warned NIRA staff against corruption and extortion, saying any such conduct will not be tolerated. He urged the public to report any NIRA official found soliciting bribes during the ID renewal process.
As of now, Biribonwa says, more than 4 million Ugandans have renewed their IDs. NIRA targets over 15 million renewals by the end of the six-month nationwide exercise.
Longino Bahebwa, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Buliisa acknowledged that several DRC nationals had illegally crossed into the district via Lake Albert waters to participate in the exercise. However, security agencies identified and stopped them before they could be registered.
The RDC said security teams have since tightened scrutiny of national ID applications along the Uganda-DRC border to prevent foreigners from exploiting the system. The NIRA board, led by Biribonwa, is currently touring the Bunyoro Sub-region to assess the progress of the ongoing mass renewal of expired national identity cards.
******
URN
