President launches issuance of National IDs

President Yoweri Museveni has launched the historic National Electronic Identity card issuance, describing the project as ‘a strategic investment’ that will not only eliminate election rigging but will also get rid of ghosts on government payrolls and further help keep crime low in our communities with quick and reliable identification of criminals by using their finger prints.

The President performed the launching ceremony last evening during the ongoing Government Budget Conference Retreat on the review of government’s performance in the Financial Year 2013 to 2014 and the budget strategy for the Financial Year 2015/2016 at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

The National Identity Card Enrollment Exercise was launched by President Museveni on the 13th April 2014 for citizens who are 16 years and above and has seen 15.5 million Ugandans out of the targeted 18 million so far registered. The remaining 2.5 million people are encouraged to register before 27th February 2015 as efforts are being made to end the 1st phase of the exercise before election period.

The issuance of the cards that was officially launched by President Museveni last evening in Munyonyo, is to be carried out country wide from today Wednesday the 3rd December ending on August 2015.

The first recipients of the National IDs last evening included the Presidnet and his wife Mrs. Janet Museveni. Others were the Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister who is also the Minister of Public Service Mr. Kajura, the Head of Public Service, Mr. John Mitala and the representative of the Private Sector Mr. Patrick Bitature.

President Museveni congratulated the Minster of Internal Affairs who is also the National Coordinator of the ID Project and all the stakeholders at all levels for the successful implementation of the exercise.

The President strongly encouraged Ugandans both at home and in the Diaspora who have not registered to do so before 27th February 2015. He disclosed that the 2nd phase of registering Ugandans of the age 0 and above will continue after the election in 2016.

Mr. Museveni who also thanked the technical service providers from Germany for the 4 machines used for printing the high quality cards pointed out that the cards will not only stop vote rigging but will also check on ghost employees and pupils in schools, fight crime, trace rapists and serial bank loan debtors among other numerous benefits.

“I hear some people are very unhappy, understandably, because it stops multiple registrations and voting. You try it, the computer will expose you. So I can see some casualties already. Secondly, war against thieves who have been stealing money. No more ghost employees, pupils in schools and government employees and also in fighting crime. Finger prints got at the scene of crime will enable the offender to be known easily,” he observed.

The President called upon all government Ministries, departments and agencies to adopt and enforce the usage of the National Identity Cards in the execution of their daily activities.

“Please, Ministries’ payments of salaries should be made by these cards so that we get rid of ghosts. This is a big saver. With these few words, it is now my pleasure to launch the issuance of National electronic personal IDs, not the Nasser road IDs,” he mused delegates of the Munyonyo Retreat.

The Minister of Internal Affairs and the National Coordinator of the ID Project, General Aronda Nyakairima, disclosed that the cards will be issued free of charge. He, however, warned that the Bill to be discussed in Parliament seeks to charge a nominal fee to whoever loses his / her card.

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