Parliament demands action on non-functional national ID verification

Uganda's National Assembly has called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to explain why the QR codes on newly issued national identity cards are still not working, months after the authority acknowledged the problem and set a resolution deadline.

The matter was raised on the floor of Parliament by Aswa County MP Patrick Okello Onguti, who reported that banks and other service providers are rejecting the new cards because their QR codes cannot be scanned for verification. Okello, a Democratic Party (DP) legislator, presented his complaint during a plenary session on Thursday, 20 August 2026, presided over by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth.

"Earlier on, I asked the Minister of Internal Affairs and NIRA to explain why QR codes on the new National IDs are reportedly still not fully integrated into the operational system," Okello told the House.

He reminded Parliament that NIRA had acknowledged the problem on 9 February 2026 and indicated that it would be resolved by 31 March 2026. The MP questioned why the issue persists months after that deadline.

"But right now, as I speak now, Ugandans are crying out because when you go into banks and some of these service providers that require QR code, the new national IDs are not corresponding," he said.

Okello described the situation as leaving citizens unable to access essential services, including banking, buying new SIM cards from telecom providers, and obtaining SIM card replacements — services that require electronic identity verification.

Fees and burdens for citizens

The MP also highlighted a financial burden on affected citizens. "Some affected Ugandans are being required to pay Shs5,000 for a NIRA letter just to be identified. This is unfair to people who already have a valid national ID," he said.

This fee — reported as equivalent to US$1.34 — is charged by NIRA for a letter that provides manual identification details to those whose cards cannot be verified electronically.

Okello called on the government to provide a firm timeline for when the QR codes will become fully operational, asking the Minister for Internal Affairs and NIRA to "explain to the country and give a deadline when the national IDs will be operationalised."

The concern received support from other MPs, who said the failure affects access to services, particularly in banks, telecommunications companies, and other institutions that rely on digital identification. Some argued the problem could undermine the intended benefits of the new generation national IDs, which were introduced with enhanced security features and digital verification capabilities to strengthen identification and help curb fraud.

Government response and next steps

The Government Chief Whip, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, told parliament that a response on the issue is expected from the Minister of Internal Affairs. "Government has taken note of the question. I will ask the Minister of Internal Affairs to respond," she said.

According to a parliamentary news report, the minister is expected to present a detailed statement next week explaining the cause of the delay, the number of citizens affected, and the measures being taken.

The QR code issue has drawn criticism from citizens who blame NIRA for failing to fulfil its mandate under the Registration of Persons Act 2015. Under that Act, NIRA is mandated to create, manage, maintain, and operate the National Identification Register, issue IDs, and verify and authenticate information.

The registration and verification programme is not only for new IDs. This year, the government launched a nationwide identity registration and renewal process in May 2025 targeting 33 million people. The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, told MPs that the mass registration drive aims to reduce the number of eligible but unregistered Ugandans from 11.9 million to below two million, and to bring the number of unissued cards from seven million to less than 500,000.

She mentioned plans to use parish chiefs to support NIRA in registration and mobilisation at the parish level, and to expand NIRA staff structure from 571 to 997 employees.

In February, NIRA reported that the modernisation process had migrated 28.5 million biometric records onto the new MOSIP-based identity database.

The delayed QR codes highlight a challenge in the broader identity modernisation programme: physical credentials have been issued while the digital verification infrastructure remains incomplete. Observers note this pattern can undermine user trust when access to services depends on technology that is not yet fully operational.