Money Lenders Warned As NIRA Launches Mass National ID Registration Exercise In Arua

ARUA. Quick money lenders have been warned to desist from confiscating their clients’ national Identity Cards (IDs) lest they risk being arrested.

The warning was sounded by Arua city leaders during the official launch of the mass national ID renewal and registration exercise at Arua City Mayor’s Garden on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

The exercise is being conducted by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) officials.

During the launch, Salim Kumakech, the Arua Resident City Commissioner (RCC), noted that many money lenders have been engaging in illegal practice of obtaining their clients’ national IDs as collateral across the country.

But he used the opportunity to advise the people whose IDs are still in the hands of money lenders to report to police that their national IDs got lost in a bid to get new ones.

“Acquire that document that you have lost your national ID, don’t say the circumstances under which it got lost, then you come here and they will give you a new one. Now if they (money lenders) want to remain with your old ID, leave it for them,” Kumakech guided.

However, the RCC clarified that the mass renewal and registration of national IDs by the government is totally not for political reasons.

“It is not for campaigns; it is to enable you to acquire essential services of the government, it is to enable you to go to the bank, it is to enable you to go to medical facilities, it is to enable you to travel within the East African Community without requiring services of a passport holder. So, this is not about politics, it is about your right as a citizen of Uganda and so, take this exercise seriously as a citizen of Uganda” Kumakech said.

Similarly, Jackson Atima Lee Buti, the Arua Central Division Member of Parliament (MP), observed that the registration exercise has come timely because without the national ID, it is hard for one to access so many services.

“Therefore, I want to thank the NIRA team and the government of Uganda for the launch of this exercise in Arua today where most of us here are going to be beneficiaries,” Atima said.

Meanwhile Atima warned money lenders who usually confiscate national IDs as security before lending money to people to desist from the practice or risk being arrested.

“While with us at the State House in Entebbe, President Yoweri Museveni warned money lenders against confiscating national IDs. I also want to join the President in warning them that if you confiscate this government property, the national IDs, especially of women who are vulnerable to this act, you are already a prey to security officers,” Atima said.

“I would want the RCC to take this up since the President said such people should be arrested because they are holding government property and they are making life difficult for the citizens to access other services. So, RCC let us make sure those who are taking advantage of our vulnerable people do not continue with that because it is criminal, it is an offense that should be punished,” Atima stated.

Atima asked money lenders who are still holding people’s national IDs to quickly surrender them to the owners before being arrested.

In his remarks, Sam Wadri Nyakua, the Arua City Mayor, said the mass registration exercise should be well conducted because the importance of national IDs to citizens is enormous.

“People who previously ignored such a very important government program should now take advantage of this exercise because of the importance attached to it. Otherwise, without the national ID, you are not going to benefit from many government services and when you don’t access government services, you only have yourself to blame, don’t blame anybody else,” Nyakua said.   

Christine Ajok, the NIRA registration officer for Arua city and district, said during the 2014 and 2015 mass registration exercise, NIRA produced 15.7 million national IDs countrywide which expired in the last ten years.

“So, by 2025, most of the national IDs have either expired or they are about to expire and that is the reason as to why NIRA is doing a mass renewal and registration exercise of Ugandans. This exercise is for all Ugandans irrespective of the age bracket – it starts from 0 years to infinite. However, we are going to prioritize the adults whose national IDs have already expired because they are missing out on government services that require the national IDs for them to access the services,” Ajok explained.