Bribery, extortion mar national ID renewal exercise in Kiryandongo
He revealed that one individual implicated in the extortion racket has already been apprehended and presented before court.
Kiryandongo: The ongoing national identity card renewal and registration exercise in Kiryandongo district has been hit by reports of bribery and extortion, as large crowds continue to overwhelm registration centers.
The alarming development was confirmed on Monday by Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Jonathan Akweteireho, during an assessment of the exercise in the district, which is being coordinated by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) under the leadership of Board Chairperson Joseph Biribonwa.
According to Akweteireho, some NIRA officials have been accused of soliciting bribes ranging from Shs20,000 to Shs50,000 to expedite services.
He revealed that one individual implicated in the extortion racket has already been apprehended and presented before court.
“The exercise is generally progressing well, and we are working together as a team. However, unstable electricity in some remote sub-counties is posing challenges,” Akweteireho noted.
He also pointed out that NIRA staff are struggling to cope with the overwhelming number of applicants, particularly in Bweyale, which hosts a significant refugee population. In Bweyale Town Council alone, over 1,000 people are turning up daily, but staffing levels remain inadequate.
NIRA Board Chairperson Joseph Biribonwa issued a stern warning to officials involved in bribery or extortion, promising legal action against anyone found guilty.
“We are aiming to renew 15 million national identity cards across the country, and we’ve already completed 4 million,” Biribonwa stated. He further emphasized that non-citizens are not eligible for registration, citing the Maragoli, who are not recognized as Ugandans under the current Constitution.
Meanwhile, residents have raised concerns over long wait times and logistical challenges. “We’re walking long distances only to stand in lines for hours,” lamented Doreen Awuma, one of the applicants.
To manage the growing demand, Biribonwa announced plans to deploy additional staff and registration kits to congested centers in the coming days.
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