INTERN
Residents and leaders in Nyarushanje Sub County, Rukungiri District have raised concern over limited access to national identification card registration and renewal services.
The ongoing exercise, which began in June and is expected to run for six months, has been centralized at the sub county headquarters—posing a challenge to residents in remote areas. Locals report that accessing the registration point requires spending over 30,000 shillings on transport, which many cannot afford.
Nyarushanje Sub County, with over nine parishes and an estimated population of 60,000 people, was only allocated three computers and three officials to handle the entire process. Local leaders expressed frustration, saying the limited resources are overwhelming and inadequate to serve such a large population in the short time provided.
Efforts by local authorities to distribute the computers to other parishes were reportedly blocked by technical constraints, as all computers are required to operate on the same network. As a result, some residents are forced to travel more than 22 kilometers to reach the service center.
Despite these challenges, officials from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) have promised to expand access. Jonan Musinguzi, the NIRA registrar for Rukungiri District, acknowledged the complaints and assured residents that more centers will be opened at village level once sub county populations have been served.
The public is encouraged to remain calm and patient as NIRA works to ensure that all eligible citizens are registered and issued with national IDs.
