Issuance of IDs: Older persons deserve better 

Those who care about the elderly raised a sceptical eyebrow on Thursday when government revealed that a total of 54,559 older persons will miss the monthly government cash handouts because they do not have national IDs.  Regrettably, it is not their problem, it is the inefficiencies in the national ID registration system that have instigated the wretchedness our senior citizens are going through. The IDs of 43,559 have glaring errors and a total of 11,000 have not been able to register with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).

The process of registering for a national ID was not designed for the older persons. It is long and cumbersome. The older persons without national IDs will require an LC I letter detailing their parents’ names, tribe, clan and this letter should be stamped by the DISO. Then, photocopy of parents national IDs if they are alive, in case they are deceased, the letter of recommendation should clearly indicate so and any other supporting document like a birth certificate.

The process requires an applicant to attach and submit a police letter together with a bank payment slip in addition to Form 1 and the original national identity card. The details will be verified, purpose acknowledged and application received. The applicant will be given a notification number and also be told the date and location to pick your ID.

At old age, most people experience financial and other difficulties due to their inability to engage in productive activities. Most of the older persons cannot stand for long hours and require special care due to the health complication that come with old age. The remedial registration window the minister talked about must address these concerns.

The older persons deserve better. Some are homeless and have no access to healthcare yet this vulnerable group plays a critical role in the communities.  In Uganda, the current population of older persons, according to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, is estimated at 1.6 million and it is expected to increase to 5.5 million in 2050. 

The use of national IDs is good, but should not be used as a tool to deny senior citizens access to Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE). We can use the LC 1 structures to generate a list of the older persons. Our senior citizens should not suffer unnecessarily. 

Government should listen to the cries of the older persons and move the registration of national IDs from sub-counties to parishes. It is also a mistake for government to view SAGE facility as a magic potion to older persons’ problems. 

Given that old age is associated with illnesses due to reduced immunity, there is a need for government to draft a functional healthcare system that offers affordable quality care for our senior citizens. We propose that the health insurance scheme be expedited and a special clause introduced in the revised Bill to provide care for aging people.