Fort Portal RCC orders arrest of money lenders holding borrowers’ national IDs
The nationwide exercise targets individuals with expired, lost, or damaged IDs, as well as those registering for the first time.
Fort Portal: In a firm stance aimed at protecting citizens’ rights and upholding government regulations, Fort Portal Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Stanley Bayole has directed police to immediately arrest any money lenders found in possession of borrowers’ National Identity Cards.
The directive was issued during the official launch of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA)’s national ID registration and renewal exercise, held at the RCC’s boardroom at Fort Portal City offices in Boma.
Bayole condemned the widespread practice of money lenders withholding national IDs as collateral for loans, calling it both unethical and illegal.
“It is unacceptable that individuals are being denied access to critical services simply because their IDs are being held by money lenders,” Bayole stated. “These IDs are government property. Holding onto them is a crime, and anyone found doing so will be arrested and prosecuted.”
The RCC emphasized that national IDs are vital for accessing government services, including participation in the ongoing re-registration and renewal exercise. He urged money lenders to use legal means of debt recovery rather than confiscating national identification documents.
“People need their IDs to renew or register for new ones under the current national exercise,” Bayole added. “This practice will not be tolerated.”
Bayole also appealed to the public to report such cases to law enforcement and assured that affected individuals would receive support in recovering their documents.
He further called on local leaders to sensitize communities on the dangers of handing over their IDs to lenders and the importance of safeguarding government-issued identification.
The directive comes at a critical time as Uganda intensifies efforts to streamline national identification and expand access to public services through updated documentation.
Providing an update on the exercise, Junior Akampurira, the Fort Portal NIRA administrator, revealed that 15.8 million national IDs have expired countrywide. In Fort Portal City, only 2,556 renewals and 1,084 new registrations have been recorded in the past five days.
“We have adopted a structured group working approach to increase efficiency,” said Akampurira. “However, with only 20 enrollment kits, and each processing a maximum of 70 IDs per day, hitting our target remains a challenge.”
The nationwide exercise targets individuals with expired, lost, or damaged IDs, as well as those registering for the first time. Citizens are urged to participate early to avoid last-minute congestion and ensure continued access to essential services.
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