Kampala – The National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) has asked Ugandans to register their children at birth to ensure proper planning for the country.
Osborn Mushabe, the NIRA Public Relations Manager says to register a child, one needs a National ID or National Identification Number (NIN) for one of the parents of the child.
Also required is a birth notification record from the health facility where the child was delivered.
Mushabe notes that birth notification records are issued by NIRA free of charge.
“If you are to do birth registration please prepare in time because we have had cases of some mothers who the moment they have delivered that’s when they try to register for their own national IDs yet you can’t register a child without a national ID. So please when you are pregnant endeavor to get a NIN from any of our offices countrywide so that the moment you deliver you are able to register your child,” said Mushabe while addressing press in Kampala on Monday.
He added, “We have challenges with parents who take long to register their children because they haven’t given them names. It would be good to accord names to your children the moment you deliver because it will help us in identification and registration.”
After the registration, a child is given a NIN which can then be used to acquire a birth certificate.
Mushabe says a birth certificate is issued on request from NIRA offices at a prescribed fee of 5,000 UGX which is paid in the bank. The birth certificate can then be obtained within just two days, adds Mushabe.
Children without birth certificates or children who are not registered may struggle with statelessness, child trafficking, or difficulty in proving their age or identity.
