NIRA Registers Over 22,000 Ugandans For National IDs In Just Three Days At My Identity Expo

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has recorded a major response from Ugandans during the 2026 My Identity Expo Symposium, with more than 22,000 National Identification Cards issued during the three-day event.

The expo, which opened on Tuesday, September 29, brought together large numbers of Ugandans seeking identification and other government services before it officially closed on Thursday, October 1. Despite the closure of the expo, NIRA says registration and issuance of National IDs will continue.

NIRA Head of Communications Allowa Claire said the authority issued about 20,000 National IDs on the first day and another 1,419 on the second day. She explained that the figures for the third day were still being compiled because people were still registering, although NIRA expected more than 1,000 additional IDs to be issued.

The My Identity Expo offered more than National ID services, with Ugandans also accessing services related to birth registration, changing Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to National Identification Numbers (NINs), opening bank accounts and other registration services.

Marriage was another major activity at the expo, with more than 20 couples formalising their unions and receiving marriage certificates. NIRA reported that five couples were wedded on the first day, 11 on the second day and seven couples on the final day.
Claire said NIRA is planning to take the My Identity Expo to different regions across Uganda to bring registration services closer to citizens. She said the aim is to ensure that more Ugandans are registered and able to access the services that require official identification.

NIRA has so far registered more than 36 million Ugandans, representing about 78 percent of the population, with the authority continuing to work towards wider registration coverage. The expo provided another opportunity to reach citizens who had not yet completed the registration process.

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) also used the event to advance the TIN-to-NIN mapping exercise. An official said about 2.1 million Ugandans had already been mapped, while URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi Rujoki said the use of NIN would make it easier for Ugandans to access services such as passports, driving permits and business registration, while helping URA identify cases involving the use of other people’s TINs in business transactions.