Uganda ID Crisis: MPs Probe Failed QR Codes on New National IDs

Parliament has expressed grave concerns regarding the persistent failure of QR codes on Uganda's new national identification cards, tasking both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to provide an urgent explanation. The issue, initially highlighted by Aswa County MP Patrick Okello Onguti on Thursday, concerns the inability of banks and various other service providers to scan and verify the QR codes on these recently issued IDs, leading to widespread rejections and significant inconvenience for citizens.

MP Onguti recounted his earlier query to the Minister of Internal Affairs and NIRA, emphasizing that the QR codes remain unintegrated into the operational system. He reminded the House that NIRA had acknowledged this critical problem on February 9, 2026, and had given a firm commitment to resolve it by March 31 of the same year. Despite this assurance, months later, the problem persists, causing considerable distress among Ugandans.

The operational failure of these QR codes is forcing citizens to incur undue financial burdens. Onguti informed MPs that some affected individuals are compelled to pay an additional Shs5,000 for a NIRA letter merely to prove their identity and access services that should be readily available with a valid national ID. This situation is deemed highly unfair, particularly given that the new generation national IDs were introduced with the specific intent of enhancing security features and digital verification capabilities to combat fraud.

Multiple Members of Parliament echoed Onguti's concerns, highlighting how the ongoing malfunction of QR codes is severely impeding access to essential services, particularly within the banking sector, telecommunications companies, and other institutions reliant on digital identification. They warned that this systemic failure risks undermining the core benefits and objectives behind the rollout of these advanced national IDs.

In response to the mounting pressure, Parliament has explicitly directed the Minister of Internal Affairs to present a comprehensive statement in the upcoming week. This statement is expected to detail the precise causes of the delay, quantify the number of citizens adversely affected, and outline the concrete measures NIRA is undertaking to ensure the full and complete integration of the QR codes into the national identification system, providing a firm operational timeline for their functionality.