3 NIRA officials arrested over alleged extortion in Kiryandongo
“NIRA officials are making people hate the government for nothing. We will not allow extortion,” Muganga said.
Kiryandongo: Three officials from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) in Kiryandongo District have been arrested over allegations of extorting money from residents seeking National Identity Cards.
The officials, identified as Hakim Mutesasira, Tusingwire Joy and Sabiro Peace, were arrested at the end of a meeting convened by the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) on Monday to assess NIRA’s performance and address complaints from the public.
During the meeting, Kiryandongo RDC Dan Muganga said his office had received complaints that some NIRA officials were allegedly demanding money from applicants before issuing them National Identity Cards.
Muganga condemned the alleged practices, warning that they could undermine public confidence in the government.
“NIRA officials are making people hate the government for nothing. We will not allow extortion,” Muganga said.
Deputy RDC Jonathan Akweteireho said the alleged extortion involved payments ranging between Shs20,000 and Shs50,000.
The District Internal Security Officer (DISO) also reported that the alleged practice was taking place both during field registration exercises and at the NIRA district office.
Kiryandongo District Police Commander SP Steven Ojok raised further concerns, saying he had received complaints that some women who could not afford the alleged payments were being sexually harassed.
Kiryandongo District Woman MP Katusiime Jovia Mbabazi said several girls had approached her with similar complaints of alleged extortion and sexual harassment.
Mbabazi urged NIRA officials to use local media platforms to educate the public about registration procedures and the official charges, saying a lack of information could leave residents vulnerable to exploitation.
The Assistant RDC, Samuel Mbabazi, also accused NIRA officials operating across the district of allegedly collecting money from residents.
NIRA explains registration fees
Meanwhile, Mable Akampurira, the head of NIRA in Kiryandongo, said the authority was working to ensure residents access National Identity Cards and other registration services.
She said NIRA teams were moving across the district to register eligible citizens and provide birth and death registration services.
Akampurira revealed that the district had registered more than 25,000 children under the fresh registration exercise.
She added that children born in hospitals who qualify as Ugandan citizens are assigned National Identification Numbers (NINs) immediately.
The NIRA official also explained the official fees charged for birth certificates, saying registration is free for babies aged between zero and six months, while children aged six months to 17 years are charged Shs10,000.
Applicants aged 18 years and above pay Shs20,000 for birth certificates, according to Akampurira.
She further said people seeking replacement of lost National Identity Cards or changes to their particulars are required to pay Shs200,000.
However, she clarified that corrections arising from mistakes made by NIRA officials are done free of charge.
Concerns over eligibility for National IDs
During the meeting, Akampurira also raised concerns about some local council chairpersons and District Internal Security Officers, whom she accused of allowing non-Ugandans to acquire National Identity Cards.
The concerns come amid growing complaints from residents about the process of accessing national identification services in the district.
The RDC’s office has not yet provided further details about the next steps in the investigation into the three arrested officials.
The allegations against the arrested officials have not been proven in court.
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