The rollout of new national identity cards has come under fresh scrutiny in Parliament, with Aswa County, Hon. Patrick Okello reporting that failures in the cards’ QR-code verification system are leaving citizens unable to access essential services.

Hon. Okello (DP), who raised the matter during the plenary sitting presided over by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth on Thursday, 20 August, 2026, said that some holders of the newly issued national IDs are being turned away when seeking services that require electronic identity verification.

“Ugandans are crying out because when seeking banking services, buying new SIM cards from the telecom service providers and SIM card replacements, some of these services that require the QR code, the new IDs’ QR codes are not responding,” he said.

Hon. Okello urged the government and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to explain why the QR codes embedded on the new cards were reportedly still failing to authenticate users.

He highlighted that NIRA publicly acknowledged on 9 February 2026 that the QR-code functionality had not yet been integrated into its digital operational system and had indicated that the problem would be resolved by 31 March 2026.

He further questioned why the problem was allegedly persisting months after that deadline.

“I therefore pray and request that the Minister for Internal Affairs and NIRA explain to the country and give a deadline when the national IDs will be operationalised,” he said.

He also raised concerns over a Shs5,000 charge for a NIRA letter intended to enable one whose card cannot be electronically verified to have their details integrated into the system.

Under the Registration of Persons Act, 2015, NIRA is mandated to create, manage, maintain and operate the National Identification Register, issue national identification cards and verify and authenticate information relating to registration and identification of persons.

Government Chief Whip, Hon. Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, acknowledged the concern and said the government would seek a response from the Minister of Internal Affairs.

“Government has taken note of the question. I will ask the Minister of Internal Affairs to respond,” Aceng told Parliament.

Relatedly, the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, told MPs that the forth coming government mass registration and issuance drive for national identity cards would reduce the number of unregistered Ugandans from 11.9 million to below two million.

Responding to a concern on decentralisation of issuance of national identity cards at parish level, raised by Busongora County North MP, Hon. Sowedi Kitanywa, the Prime Minister said the drive will also seek to bring the number of unissued cards from seven million to less than 500,000.

“Government also plans to utilise parish chiefs to support the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) in carrying out registration and mobilisation at parish level,” Nabbanja noted.

She revealed that plans are on course to expand the NIRA staff structure from 571 to 997 employees, to enable the deployment of three officers in every district.