The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has recorded a major milestone after issuing more than 22,000 National Identification Cards during the three-day My Identity Expo Symposium 2026, which brought together Ugandans seeking different identification and registration services.The expo started on Tuesday, September 29, and was officially closed on Thursday, October 1, after attracting large numbers of Ugandans from different parts of the country.
However, NIRA said registration and issuance of National IDs will continue even after the conclusion of the event.According to NIRA’s Head of Communications, Allowa Claire, about 20,000 National IDs were issued on the first day, while another 1,419 were issued on the second day. She explained that figures for the third day were still being compiled because registration was continuing, but the number was expected to exceed 1,000.Claire said the expo was not limited to National Identification Cards, as several other services were offered to the public. These included registration of births, changing Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to National Identification Numbers (NINs), opening bank accounts and conducting civil registration services.The event also featured mass weddings, giving couples an opportunity to formalise their unions and receive marriage certificates.
NIRA said more than 20 couples were wedded during the three days, with five couples getting married on the first day, 11 on the second day and seven on the final day.Claire said NIRA plans to take the My Identity Expo to different regions of Uganda in the future to reach more people and ensure that citizens who have not yet been registered can access identification services closer to their communities.NIRA has so far registered more than 36 million Ugandans, representing about 78 percent of the population, according to figures shared during the expo.
The authority has been encouraged to continue its efforts towards achieving full registration across the country.The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) also used the expo to advance the integration of TINs with NINs. An official said about 2.1 million Ugandans had so far been mapped from TIN to NIN, while the process continues.
URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi Rujoki said linking the two identification systems will make it easier for Ugandans to access services such as passports, driving permits and business registration using their NIN, while also helping the authority identify cases where people use other individuals’ TINs to conduct business without meeting their tax obligations.
