By BM
In a bold and unprecedented move, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) have pitched camp at the posh Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, turning the beautiful lakeside venue into a busy centre for registering people for National IDs.
This is happening during a three-day seminar where over 2,000 public accountants have gathered for the 30th Annual Seminar of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU).
While accountants are attending workshops and meetings to talk about new international rules on sustainability reporting, NIRA is outside making sure everyone gets registered for a National Identification Number (NIN).
“We’re not just guests this time. We’ve partnered with ICPAU,” said Peter Okwalinga, the Communications and Media Officer at NIRA. “We are giving services right here registering new people, replacing lost IDs, renewing expired ones, giving out birth certificates, and more.”
People were surprised to see NIRA at such a high-end hotel, known for weddings and expensive events.
But NIRA is using the chance to reach many people at once including accountants and even children who came along with their parents during the school holidays.
But even with all the good work happening, there are still problems.
People continue to report cases where some NIRA staff or people pretending to be staff ask for bribes in exchange for help.
“We know about these issues,” Okwalinga said. “In fact, we recently fired 12 staff members because of this. But sadly, not all of them were our staff. Some are fake agents pretending to be NIRA workers.”
To fight this, NIRA has created a WhatsApp number where people can send voice notes, videos, or messages showing what happened. There is also a toll-free number people can call.
“If someone asks you for money, report them. Tell us where it happened and who did it. We need proof so we can take action,” Okwalinga urged.
NIRA has also changed how it works. Instead of waiting for people to come to their offices, they now go where people are schools, sports events, offices, and even seminars like this one.
“We’ve been to the Bank of Uganda, URA, even football and rugby fields,” said Okwalinga. “This new way helps us reach more people, and this event with ICPAU shows how serious we are.”
While accountants are busy in the conference rooms, NIRA staff are outside helping parents register their children, fixing ID issues, and giving out important documents, all while enjoying the breeze from Lake Victoria.
Okwalinga ended with a message for parents: “Use this holiday to register your children. Come with them to the nearest NIRA office on Thursdays and Fridays. When you’re there, we can get their information right.”
Uganda is working hard to make sure every citizen is registered and with moves like this one, NIRA is bringing national ID services right to the people, wherever they are. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
