The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has taken a firm stance against corruption within its ranks, terminating the contracts of 14 officials found involved in corrupt practices during the ongoing national registration exercise.
Claire Ollama, NIRA Registrar while delivering an update on the registration process, urged citizens not to fall prey to middlemen or pay bribes to fast-track their national ID applications.
She emphasized that all registration forms, whether for fresh registration or renewals, are provided free of charge at registration stations or can be downloaded directly from the official NIRA website at nira.go.ug.
“Do not allow yourself to be charged for a form,” Ollama stated. “These forms are a single page and can be printed at minimal cost about shs500 maximum. Avoid paying internet café proprietors or middlemen who sell these forms at inflated prices.”
Ollama explained that the registration process is strictly managed through a secure online system with multiple levels of separation between those registering applicants and those processing the data.
“The person registering you at any station does not interact with the processor or the production unit. This means paying to fast-track an application is futile,” she said.
She also condemned the practice of queue-jumping through bribes, calling it “unfair, selfish, and wrong.” Ollama reminded the public that the National ID registration serves everyone from newborns to the elderly and that the process is strictly first-come, first-served.
“Let us acknowledge that we are all Ugandans and deserve equal access to this service,” she urged. “When a NIRA officer asks for money, raise the loudest alarm possible. Both the giver and receiver of bribes are equally liable under the law.”
The crackdown on corrupt officials is part of a wider effort to ensure transparency and fairness during the registration exercise.
“We thank those citizens who continue to report corrupt practices and send us evidence. Together, we can protect this service for all Ugandans,” Ollama added.
