The National Identification and Registration Authority has assured Ugandans that their old National ID cards will remain in their possession even as the country transitions to the enhanced generation of high-tech identification cards.

Speaking during the rollout exercise, NIRA Registrar Claire Olama said the old cards will continue to serve as important personal documents and will not be taken away from their owners. She noted that staff will only apply a small administrative mark to show that the cards have expired while keeping all the information readable.

“Our long-awaited moment has arrived. What we registered for, what we hoped to receive, is now here. We are ready to give out the new, more advanced cards,”Olama said, calling on citizens to turn up with their old cards when collecting the upgraded version.

She explained that the old card remains necessary for confirming identity at the point of collection. 

She said, “You present your old card, we verify that you are the rightful owner, and once we establish that your new card is ready, we capture your biometric details, either your fingerprints or your iris, before issuing the new National ID.”

Olama stressed that NIRA officers are required to return the old card to the owner after placing a single punch in a clear corner that contains no personal data. 

She noted, “The old card stays with you. The mark is only to show that its number is no longer active. It should never interfere with your photo, your barcode, or any detail used for identification.”

She said the simple punch helps distinguish valid cards from invalidated ones without damaging the integrity of the document. 

She said, “In the end, you leave with two cards: your new one, clean and untouched, and your old one with a small mark that confirms it has been replaced.”

Olama encouraged Ugandans to approach the collection centres with patience and orderliness. She added that NIRA teams will continue providing updates and responding to inquiries as the nationwide issuance continues.

NIRA is currently distributing the enhanced National ID cards at designated centres across the country, marking one of the largest identification upgrades undertaken in recent years.

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The Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) has kicked off a phase in the long-awaited process of returning residue land titles to Project Affected Persons (PAPs), beginning with land owners along the Busunju–Kiboga–Hoima Road.

In a statement released on November 25, 2025, Permanent Secretary Waiswa Bageya said the ministry is committed to resolving the long-standing issue of land titles that were taken over during major road construction projects by the former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).

“This exercise is aimed at ensuring that all rightful land owners regain full possession of their residue land titles after the completion of road projects. We understand the frustration caused by the delays, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience,” Bageya said.

He explained that the process initially commenced with projects such as the Mukono–Katosi/Kisoga–Nyenga Road, the Kampala–Entebbe Expressway, and the Kampala Northern Bypass, but has now been extended to cover other completed road corridors.

The ministry has invited affected title holders along the Busunju–Kiboga–Hoima Road to report to designated district headquarters for verification and collection.

“Property owners in Kiboga District should report to the District Headquarters on Thursday, November 27, 2025,” Bageya noted. 

He added, “Those in Kyankwanzi District should come on Friday, November 28, 2025, during official working hours.”

He urged land owners to carry their National Identification Cards and a passport photo to facilitate processing.

“We call upon all affected individuals to turn up with the required documents so that this long-overdue exercise can finally be concluded,” he added.

Bageya also assured the public that additional dates will be communicated for property owners affected by other completed road projects across the country.

“The Ministry will continue to issue further communication to ensure every affected land owner is served. We appreciate your patience and cooperation throughout this process,” he said. 

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Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and William Ruto of Kenya have launched a $500 (1.78 trillion UGX.million) Devki Mega Steel Plant in eastern Uganda hailing the facility as a major step toward the industrial liberation of Africa.

The vertically integrated steel facility, located in Kayoro village, Osukuru County, Tororo District, marks one of East Africa’s largest industrial investments. It is being developed by Kenyan industrialist Narendra Raval, chairman of the Devki Group.

Museveni framed the project as a historical reversal of centuries of African economic injustice.

“Today, with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Devki Mega Steel project in Tororo, alongside H.E. President William Ruto of Kenya, we are in the process of liberating Africa,” Museveni said.

He noted that for more than 500 years, the continent has suffered from exploitation that extracts raw materials without adding value. The steel plant, he said, will help reverse the trend of exporting African minerals and jobs.

“At full operationalization, we shall be one step closer to reversing the squandering of Africa’s resources human, mineral, jobs, and foreign exchange,” he added.

The facility is expected to employ 15,000 Ugandans at commencement across operations in Tororo and Mbarara, according to Raval. The industrialist said a majority of these jobs would come from the integrated steel operations and related activities supported by investments already made in the region and the upcoming iron ore refinery in Kabale.

Museveni thanked Ruto for encouraging Raval to invest in Uganda, acknowledging that regional collaboration is essential for collective prosperity. He also revealed that Raval plans another major iron ore project in Kabale, which is projected to create more than 16,000 jobs.

Museveni cautioned Ugandans against impeding the investment through compensation disputes, assuring the public that the government would handle necessary payments.

 “The man is going to invest $500 million here, so please don’t bother him about money for compensation. The government will handle that, ”he said. 

Ruto described the ceremony as more than the start of a factory, calling it a “bold new chapter” in Africa’s industrialization and the strengthening of regional value chains.

“We convene here not just to commission a factory, but to usher in a new, audacious chapter in Africa’s industrialization ambitions,” Ruto said.

He commended Museveni for championing regional integration, which he said enables large-scale projects like the steel plant to succeed. Ruto announced that Kenya would launch the next phase of its Standard Gauge Railway extension in January, which will eventually extend to Tororo to support manufacturing and lower transport costs.

Raval stressed that industrialization is the only path to prosperity, saying, “Importing steel is importing poverty. We must produce here, create jobs here, and empower the youth.” He pledged that 90 percent of the factory’s workforce would be Ugandans, drawing from the Tororo community and its surroundings.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga called the project an important milestone for East Africa and evidence of deepening regional industrial integration. Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa described the event as landmark and historic, noting that the plant aligns with the government’s commitment to expanding industrial capacity.

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