NIRA Executive Director, Rosemary KisemboBy Prisca WanyenyaThe Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has raised concern over the delayed activation of new National Identity Cards issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), with Ugandans being bounced when they try to access social services.Legislators raised the issue on September 9, 2026, during consideration of the December 2025 Auditor General’s report, with NIRA attributing the delay to partners who are yet to meet requirements for data sharing.Elgon North MP Gerald Nangoli questioned why NIRA is working in isolation, warning that Ugandans are now moving with two IDs – old and new – which poses a security risk.“I don’t know why you are working in isolation; you have not yet integrated the new IDs. So, if someone goes with the old ID, he will also get the new one, and tomorrow, uses the new ID somewhere else, he is using the same IDs to get services from different places,” Nangoli said.COSASE Chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi asked NIRA not to recall old National IDs until the new ones are fully activated. He tasked the Authority to provide clear timelines for activation, noting that delays are affecting first-time applicants and those who lost their IDs.“Our concern was on the inactive status of the new IDs. Normally, for someone to receive a new card, they spoil, or punch holes into the old card. When someone goes to register a line, they require that same old card. You are distorting and complicating transactions for Ugandans. Why are the new ones not functional? When will they be activated?” Muwada asked.Similar concerns were raised on September 7, 2026, when Kira Municipality MP George Musisi sought clarity on when NIRA will complete migration of data from old IDs to new IDs, citing public complaints of being asked to produce both IDs.“If you go to get a driving permit, they tell you to first go to Kololo to get another letter and I am told that the letter is only issued at Kololo. So, I don’t know whether all the other people from across the country are not working. It is costing in terms of money,” Musisi said.Responding, NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo said on March 31, 2026, NIRA embarked on a module for exchange of information with various entities and wrote to all partners informing them of the new system and the steps needed to connect.“Prior to this, in 2024 and 2023, NIRA had written to its partners informing them that we are coming up with a new system, this is a technology stack, these are the APIs, you can start development,” Kisembo explained.She said partners only started development this year, with MTN being the first to onboard onto the new production system.“I think for purposes that are beyond the control of the organisation, the partners began development only this year. The first partner to onboard on the new production area was MTN. Subsequently, other partners are currently onboarding as they develop on their side,” she said.Kisembo said activation is a handshake process – NIRA has put out its hand and the partner must also put out theirs for data exchange to happen.“Partners are in the process of developing the system because it is a handshake. NIRA has put out their hand, the partner also has to put out their hand for a complete handshake. So as the partners onboard, we onboard them based on their readiness,” she noted.“So, the process of onboarding partners onto the new system is ongoing. We have several now onboarded and others are coming on, depending on the readiness of the partner. We have now some banks and some telecoms that are ready. If a client interacts today with MTN, they will succeed. If they interact with another one, they may not succeed,”The post NIRA on Spot as New National IDs Fail to Work for SIM Registration, Banks and Driving Permits appeared first on Business Focus.