Agency
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has renewed its call to parents and guardians to prioritise early registration of children, warning that delays in securing legal identity expose youngsters to long-term social and economic disadvantages.
NIRA Registrar Claire Olama described early registration as “the first and most fundamental step in protecting a child’s future”, noting that many parents still underestimate the importance of registering their children within the first six months after birth.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the NIRA Mukono office, Olama explained that legal identity is the gateway to essential services, including education, healthcare, social protection, bank services, passports, and future employment.
Children who are not registered remain invisible in national systems, she said, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, exclusion from government programmes, and difficulties later in life when proof of citizenship is required.
Registration within the first six months is free and includes both a birth certificate and a National Identification Number (NIN).
After that period, parents pay 10,000 Shillings for children up to six years and up to 50,000 Shillings for those above 18, fees that disproportionately burden rural families living below the poverty line.
