Over 1.5million people from Busoga sub-region registered for the National Identification cards
This was revealed during the regional launch of National IDs issuance for Busoga region at a ceremony held at Busoga Square in Jinja District on Tuesday.
The ceremony which was presided over by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga attracted many leaders including RDCs, but this is now solved”
Kadaga also urged local leaders to access and assess the data adduced during the national identification registration exercise to guide them in planning for their respective districts.
After acquiring National Identification cards, Ugandans will start using them as travel documents to travel across all the East African Countries.
This was revealed by the Minister of Internal Affairs Gen Aronda
Nyakayirima who said that other countries have already benefited and only Ugandans were missing out. “Kenyans have already been moving to Uganda, to Rwanda using their IDs and now Ugandans can also enjoy this privilege,” he said
According to Gen. Aronda there is no need of using a passport to go to any of the countries under the East African Community if one has a National ID, as enshrined in the East African Community common market protocol.
Gen. Aronda further noted that the National ID shall be used to fight insecurity in the country.
He however warned official who are extorting money from citizens before they issue cards saying security is cracking on such errantworkers.
“The exercise s entirely free, its only those who will lose their cards who will have to part with some money to have them replaced but by now, everything is free and who demands some money is a criminal and saboteurs.”
Meanwhile the Director of Operations in the Electoral Commission Chris Mulekwa who represented the EC Chairman Badru Kiggundu cautioned Ugandans that the National ID was not a voter ID and not a lasting pre-requisite for voting.
“However much the ID may enable one to vote, there is also need to ensure that one’s name appears on the voters’ register otherwise the card will not help when the name misses on the register” Mulekwa clarified.
