The Ministry of internal Affairs with the National Identification and Registration Authority ( NIRA), has proposed an increase in the national identification cards (IDs) replacement fees from shs 50,000 to shs 200,000.
The proposal was brought before the parliamentary committee by the Minister of Internal Affairs Kahinda Otafiire while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs on the planned mass enrollment of unregistered citizens and renewal of National Identity cards exercise.
Otafire informed MPs that government plans to use 600 billion shillings for the exercise that will start in June next year and last for 15 months.
Otafiire says that out of 600 billion, they plan to source 160.4 billion shillings from increasing fees on replacements of IDS from 50,000 shillings to 200,000 shillings.
Otafiire also says that money will be collected from introducing express national identification cards for renewal and people who are getting them for the first time.
Otafiire also says that they want to upgrade the new identity cards to a smart card e-ID and creation of the personal digital identity and will capture DNAs, fingerprint, facial recognition and Iris.
When asked whether government has plans to capture the DNA of every Ugandan, Otafiire noted that the question was immaterial.
The chairperson of the committee, Rosemary Nyakikongoro, says that the increment in 200,000 shillings is too much.
Mugabe Donozio (Ruhinda South MP) noted that the window for express identity cards might be misused when the authority decides to concentrate on people with money and leave those without funds.
Mukono North MP Abdullah Kiwanuka called for NIRA to come up with national IDs that do not expire
William Museveni (Buwekula South MP) asked NIRA to put limitations on the window for people to change particulars on their national ids.
Donozio expressed concerns on the issue of non Ugandans who are given national IDs and passports.
