COSASE grills NIRA over delayed registration for National IDs

By Alice Lubwama

The parliamentary committee on commissions, statutory Authorities and state enterprises has grilled officials from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) over the slow registration of persons seeking for National Identification cards.

The committee presided over by Busiro East Leislator Medard Sseggona was interfacing with NIRA officials led by its executive Director Judy Obitre Gama over the audit queries for the financial year 2017/18.

Members of Parliament are concerned that a few officers are deployed to conduct the exercise despite a big number of persons assembling and waiting for registration .

Sseggona pinned the NIRA bosses of delaying this exercise into order to create a loophole for its officials to solicit for bribes from the persons looking for registration.

The members also asked NIRA to plant some spies among its enrollment officers to detect those asking for bribes from the people to be registered.

The members observed that some NIRA enrollment officers ask a bribe between 5000 to 1000,000 shillings for people to be registered.

However, NIRA executive director Judy Gama said that the authority has made arrests of some its officers involved in the alleged bribes and they are now waiting for prosecution.

The committee has resolved to move to the registration centers and interface with people to examine the performance of this project and alleged bribe.

There has been a public out cry over delayed registration and insurance of national identify cards by NIRA.