KAMPALA, Uganda – At least 11 people have been arrested in connection with corruption and extortion during Uganda’s ongoing national ID registration and renewal exercise, as revealed by Minister of State for Internal Affairs, David Muhoozi.
The minister’s statement to Parliament on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, confirmed that while over nine million people have applied for IDs in the last four months, the process has been marred by widespread malpractices.
According to Muhoozi, the arrested suspects include four staff members from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), temporary registration assistants, and brokers who impersonated officials to extort money from the public.
“NIRA has noted with concern the increasing complaints on extortion, corruption and bribery at service centers perpetuated by imposters, NIRA registration assistants and other cadres,” Muhoozi said.
He detailed several reported corrupt practices, such as the sale of free registration forms and soliciting bribes to allow citizens to skip queues.
Specific cases of misconduct have been reported across several districts, including Mubende, Mityana, Mukono, Wakiso, Busia, Kyotera, and Abim. In Mubende alone, four temporary registration assistants were arrested, remanded, and had their contracts terminated.
In Kyotera, an investigation is underway into a NIRA staff member, a businesswoman, and a medical worker suspected of colluding to defraud the public.
To combat these issues, the government has implemented several measures. These include making free online registration forms available, establishing a pre-registration portal to reduce congestion, and creating toll-free hotlines for public reporting.
Additionally, NIRA has provided its staff with uniforms and ID cards to help citizens identify legitimate officials.
“This is to reiterate that the process of enrolment and renewal of National IDs is free of charge. We urge all Ugandans to stay alert, resist corruption, and report any suspicious activity,” Muhoozi emphasized.
However, Members of Parliament (MPs) have raised concerns that corruption is being fueled by systemic issues.
Also Read: Step-by-step guide to using NIRA’s new online portal for national ID registration and renewal
Kalangala District Woman MP Helen Nakimuli highlighted logistical challenges in remote communities.
“When it comes to extortion it comes in a way that people have to travel from one island to another to access registration services. The officers say they have not been given facilitation to move from one island to the other,” she explained.
Similarly, Amuru District Woman MP Lucy Akello pointed to poor staff facilitation as a key driver of bribery, stating: “I was in Okidi, Atiak sub-county, and I got a request that I should help them hire a generator so that NIRA staff can go further closer to people to register people especially the elderly. They are poorly facilitated.”
