Lwengo District leaders have closed a National Identification and Registration Authority office following allegations that residents are being charged up to Shs10,000 to obtain national identity cards, while officials face calls to investigate the complaints.
Lwengo District leaders have closed a National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) office following allegations that residents are being asked to pay between Shs5,000 and Shs10,000 to obtain their national identity cards.
District chairperson Abasi Kizito ordered the closure, accusing the office of repeatedly subjecting residents seeking national identity cards to extortion.
Kizito said his office had received numerous complaints from residents who claimed they were being asked to pay money to access services they expected to receive without unofficial charges.
He expressed concern that residents unable to afford the alleged payments were being turned away without receiving their national identity cards.
“Those who do not have money are afraid to come because they cannot get their national identity cards. Someone who has no money is told to go back and return when they have money if they want to get their national ID. It hurts me, and even when they explain that they have no money, they are not treated with compassion,” Kizito said.
He said he had contacted Rose Kisule, the in-charge of the NIRA office in Lwengo, seeking an explanation, but she allegedly did not answer his telephone calls.
Kizito further claimed that despite spending considerable time at the district headquarters, he had never seen Kisule visit his office.
He said district leaders had also written several letters inviting her to meetings at the district headquarters and district council, but she had not responded to the invitations.
Kizito said the office would remain closed until NIRA executive director Rosemary Kisembo Mugwanya appointed another official capable of serving residents without subjecting them to alleged mistreatment.
The closure could disrupt access to national identification services for residents who depend on the district office, although local leaders say their action is intended to prompt an investigation into the complaints.
RDC raises concern over suspected impersonation
Lwengo Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Immy Kateera said his office had also received complaints about alleged extortion at the NIRA office.
Kateera said he had attempted to summon Kisule to respond to the complaints, but she had not appeared.
He also revealed that security personnel had arrested a man in Mitete, Sembabule District, suspected of impersonating a NIRA official in Lwengo and using forged documents to support his claims.
“We found him in Mitete, Sembabule District, where he had forged documents purporting to show that he works with NIRA in Lwengo. We have him in our custody, and he will help us investigate the authenticity of the documents and establish the truth about the allegations,” Kateera said.
The arrest introduces a separate line of inquiry into access to national identification services in the area. However, the RDC did not establish a direct link between the suspect and the allegations against the Lwengo NIRA office.
During a visit to the NIRA office, several residents who had come to collect their national identity cards were found seated on benches awaiting assistance.
Some residents interviewed alleged that they had been asked to pay money before receiving their cards, with the amounts reportedly ranging between Shs5,000 and Shs10,000.
The allegations have raised concerns among residents who depend on national identity cards to access various public and private services.
Local leaders and residents welcomed the closure, saying it should provide an opportunity for the complaints to be investigated and any established irregularities addressed.
Councillor Kayondo Mubaraka was among those who supported the decision, arguing that residents should be able to access national identification services without being subjected to unofficial charges.
NIRA official yet to respond
Efforts to obtain a comment from Kisule were unsuccessful, as the telephone numbers available to this reporter could not be reached.
However, Kisule had previously appeared before a district committee, where she denied allegations that she was demanding money from residents seeking national identity cards.
During that appearance, some people reportedly interrupted her, accusing her of lying.
Her response to the latest complaints could not be obtained by the time of publication. It also remains unclear whether NIRA's national leadership has formally responded to the district's decision to close the office.
The dispute leaves questions about the continuity of national identification services in Lwengo and what steps NIRA will take to ensure residents can access them without undue hardship.