At least 15.8 million national identity cards are expected to expire by August next year, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has said.
It also added that it would roll out a song, partly in tribute to the late musician Mowzey Radio, called ‘NIRA’. You know, like the Goodlyfe Crew’s 2017 hit song, Neera.
Speaking during a workshop for media about the song and more, the NIRA boss said this musical journey was thrilling.
“I feel we are more ‘swangz-nificent’ than Swangz Avenue,” the NIRA boss said.
Swangz Avenue is one of the leading audio and film production companies in Kampala. Sadly, though, it turns out that an Indian musician wants to sue NIRA over the song.
You see, there is already an Indian song called Nira. It is a Tamil language song.
However, the NIRA boss said NIRA’s song ‘NIRA’ was different from the Indian song ‘Nira.’
“First of all, you have to sing NIRA twice during the chorus just as it was with Goodlyfe’s jam ‘Neera’. Second, please refer to my first point,” said the NIRA supremo.
He was also glad that NIRA was only a single letter away from being called NRA (National Resistance Army).
So people often mistake NIRA for the armed wing of the ruling NRM and wonder why it had to go to ‘the bush’ just to be able to supply Identity Cards to wananchi.
Speaking of the identity cards, the NIRA boss apologised for almost forgetting that that was the main reason she was speaking to the media.
Then, suddenly stiffening up like a soldier saluting, she went on to clarify who’s who in the pantheon of expiring IDs.
“A total of 15.8 million national are due to expire by August 2025 and will be considered for renewal during the mass enrolment exercise,” the NIRA boss said.
“Yes, we are renewing your Ugandaness in a very big way. You only get to live once but you get to be Ugandan every time we renew your IDs. That is like having more lives than one…Neera Neera…with NIRA… and we should be thankful for that.”
NIRA is set to launch the mass enrolment for upgraded national IDs around the country, while playing its soon-to-be-released song NIRA.
The new IDs, the NIRA boss reveals, will have upgraded features including the iris which is the coloured part of the eye that surrounds the pupil. It regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.
The boss said they were going to upgrade the iris so it lets more light into Ugandan eyes. So when they look out on the world, Ugandans will see only the bright side of life.
Too many Ugandans see only the dark side of life and this will change, NIRA’s top suit said.
Speaking this week, she said only 27.4 million Ugandans are currently registered, of the 45.9 million, according to latest census figures.
She explained that the up-and-coming exercise will be targeting between 17 and 18 million Ugandans who have never been registered.
“In essence, there is between 17 and 18 million new Ugandans to be registered. On a daily basis, we register one million new Ugandans and if we keep this up we would have registered all 7 billion Ugandans by next year.”
The NIRA boss explained that the mass enrolment will also cater for the 1.5 million Ugandans who are born every year, according to statistics by the Uganda Bureau of Standards (Ubos).
“Even the ones who are not born will be catered for or catered to, I am not sure which preposition works here: for or to,” the NIRA boss confessed.
She, however, urged Ugandans to register all newly born babies to ensure they at least get National Identification Numbers (NIN), which is short for Ninja.
National IDs are issued to people above 16 years with the rest being issued with NINs as they become Ninjas.
In Ugandan urban-speak, ‘Ninja” means close friend.
Having so many Ugandan Ninjas will help NIRA compile the national voters’ register that will be friendly to the ruling NRM ahead of the 2026 General Election.
