government has started issuing National Identity Cards to Ugandans recently repatriated from South Africa as part of efforts to support their reintegration following xenophobic attacks that forced them to return home.
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is conducting the registration exercise at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, where more than 700 returnees are undergoing a structured rehabilitation programme.
The initiative is aimed at ensuring that the returnees have access to essential government services while receiving support to rebuild their lives after losing businesses, jobs and property in South Africa.
Commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC), Hellen Seku, said providing NIRA services at the rehabilitation centre was intended to ensure no returnee is excluded from accessing government services.
“Most of them missed the national registration exercise because they had been living in South Africa. Without a National ID, it becomes difficult to access many services. We want them to reintegrate fully and enjoy every service available to Ugandans,” Seku said.
She said other institutions, including the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), telecommunications companies and financial institutions, had also brought services closer to the returnees to ease their transition back into society.
The returnees are also undergoing training in patriotism, entrepreneurship, agriculture, financial literacy and government wealth creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
Seku said the government’s objective is to equip the returnees with skills and information that will enable them to create sustainable livelihoods instead of facing hardships while searching for opportunities abroad.
“We do not want them to return to their communities empty-handed. They should understand how government programmes work, how they can benefit from them, and how they can use agriculture and enterprise to improve their livelihoods,” she said.
She revealed that some returnees had spent between 20 and 45 years in South Africa, while more than 216 children who returned with them were born there and had limited knowledge of Uganda.
According to Seku, many arrived traumatised after losing their sources of income and property but have since regained hope through counselling and support programmes at NALI.
NIRA Senior Registration Officer Capt. Darius Turyahikayo said more than 410 adults and children had already been registered since the exercise began.
“As NIRA, we register every Ugandan from birth. Many of these returnees missed previous registration exercises because they were abroad. Bringing these services closer to them ensures that no one is left behind,” Turyahikayo said.
He assured the returnees that all eligible applicants would receive their National Identity Cards before leaving the facility.
“Our Executive Director directed that every returnee should obtain an ID before departing this facility, and we are committed to fulfilling that promise,” he added.
The programme has received praise from government officials, with Seku commending President Yoweri Museveni for directing state agencies to support the repatriation and reintegration of the returnees.
She said Museveni is expected to meet the returnees during the programme’s closing ceremony scheduled for July 17, 2026.
Musician Billy Katumba, popularly known as Kasodde, who is among the returnees, welcomed the support, saying the programme had helped many recover emotionally and identify opportunities to rebuild their lives.
“We are being treated with dignity. The counselling has helped us recover emotionally, while the training has shown us opportunities we had never considered,” Katumba said.
The government says the reintegration programme is intended to restore the dignity of returnees and help them become productive members of their communities after their difficult experiences in South Africa.
