The head of government activity monitoring in the Teso and Karamoja regions, Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, has cautioned Local Council One (LC1) chairpersons against endorsing unknown individuals, particularly herdsmen, during the ongoing mass enrolment and renewal of National Identity Cards.
Speaking during his oversight visit to the ID enrolment process in Soroti City, Gen. Elwelu emphasized that those identifying as herdsmen, including the Balalo and Karamojong, must renew their national IDs from their ancestral homes and not in areas where they have recently migrated in search of pasture and water.
Gen. Elwelu, who renewed his own ID during the exercise, stressed the importance of the National ID as a proof of citizenship and a crucial document for accessing government services.
The Balalo and Karamojong herdsmen have been frequently seen in the Teso sub-region, prompting concerns among local leaders and residents about their intentions and long-term presence.
Capt. Joseph Kitumba, the District Registration Officer for Soroti, revealed that 1,142 people in the district and 1,211 in Soroti City had renewed their IDs in the past three days. However, this is only a fraction of the target population of 150,000 for both areas.
Despite challenges such as rainfall and occasional technical glitches, Capt. Kitumba noted that registration centres had seen a steady turnout.
According to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), more than 15.8 million IDs issued between 2014 and 2015 will expire by June this year, leaving many Ugandans at risk of being unable to prove their citizenship.
The entire mass ID renewal and enrolment exercise is expected to cost the government UGX 666.85 billion. Out of this, UGX 183 billion is for purchasing new ID cards, UGX 293 billion for technology infrastructure and data centre kits, while UGX 190.85 billion has been allocated to compensate the 13,864 workers implementing the project.
The government has urged all eligible citizens to participate in the renewal and registration process before the June deadline.