Uganda: MPs Demand Answers From NIRA Over Dysfunctional Qr Codes On New National IDs
Ugandan Members of Parliament are demanding that the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) fix dysfunctional QR codes on new national IDs. Citizens are currently facing service disruptions and extra costs at banks and telecommunications providers due to the verification failure.
Why it matters
Digital identification systems are critical for modern financial and telecommunications access; their failure creates significant economic barriers for citizens.
Parliament has tasked the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to explain why QR codes on the new national IDs are still not working months after the authority promised to resolve the problem.
Aswa County MP Patrick Okello Onguti raised the matter on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, saying banks and other service providers were rejecting the new cards because their QR codes could not be scanned for verification.
"Earlier on, I asked the Minister of Internal Affairs and NIRA to explain why QR codes on the new National IDs are reportedly still not fully integrated into the operational system," Onguti said.
He reminded Parliament that NIRA had acknowledged the problem on February 9, 2026, and promised that it would be resolved by March 31.
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