KAMPALA, UGANDA — Chief Opposition Whip and Jinja South Division East Member of Parliament, Hon. Paul Mwiru, raised concerns over the reliability of Uganda’s newly issued National Identity Cards, questioning why citizens should incur additional costs to verify documents issued by the State.
Mwiru raised the matter on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after recounting his experience with a bank that reportedly declined to accept his newly issued National ID during an update of his banking details.
According to Mwiru, his bank account had been frozen pending an update, but when he presented his new identity card, bank officials reportedly told him it could not be accepted without a verification letter from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
The legislator said he encountered other customers facing similar challenges, raising concerns about the difficulties citizens could experience when using newly issued identity cards to access essential services.
Mwiru argued that citizens should not be required to pay additional fees to validate official documents issued by the State. He questioned the rationale behind requiring verification letters when national identity cards are intended to facilitate access to essential services.
The legislator also questioned the government’s proposed transition from Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to National Identification Numbers (NINs) for individual taxpayers. He argued that difficulties in verifying newly issued identity cards could complicate the implementation of the proposed system.
The proposal was presented to Parliament by State Minister for Finance in charge of Planning, Hon. Amos Lugoloobi, who said the use of NINs as primary tax identifiers for individuals would help expand the tax base, eliminate duplicate registrations and improve tax administration.
Responding to the concerns, Health Minister Hon. Chris Baryomunsi told Parliament that NIRA was undertaking a synchronisation process with the Uganda Communications Commission to authenticate the newly issued identity cards. He acknowledged that the cards had not yet been fully harmonised within the relevant systems and said the process was ongoing.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa subsequently directed Parliament’s Committee on ICT and National Guidance to ensure that the responsible authorities addressed the authentication concerns effectively. The matter placed the usability of newly issued national identity cards and coordination among public institutions under parliamentary scrutiny.
Mwiru’s intervention highlighted the importance of ensuring that government-issued identification documents can be used reliably across banks and other institutions without unnecessary administrative burdens. Clear communication on verification procedures, applicable charges and the activation of new identity cards will be important in protecting citizens from avoidable inconvenience as Uganda advances its digital identification and tax administration systems.
