NIRA Boasts of Ugx 734M Revenue from Marriages

“It’s a good feeling. We started this journey together. The Government decided to transfer the marriage function to NIRA, and we fully support it,” she stated, noting that URSB once managed all the civil registration functions that are currently under the full control of NIRA prior to the enactment of the Registration of Persons Act (ROPA) in 2015.

With the addition of marriage registration to its mandate, which already includes issuing NINs, managing the National Identification Register, issuance of national ID cards, Alien cards, registration of births and deaths, NIRA is now positioned as the country’s singular authority in the management of life cycle of identification and civil registration.

Executive Director NIRA,  RoseMary Kisembo, says given the new cutting-edge technology and infrastructure, there’s an unwavering hope that the marriage function will seamlessly be integrated into the modern eco system that the organization is relentlessly developing. The possibility of all functions to communicate effortlessly will be unmatched, placing Uganda atop its neighboring countries in this service.

Without an expression of doubt, the Executive Director further affirmed that; NIRA has metamorphosized over time, “from its humble beginnings as a National ID project, which was highly successful, NIRA has blossomed into an affable organization with 119 branches and counting. With this new mandate, we are confident NIRA will soar even higher.”

In her remarks, she expressed gratitude to key stakeholders including URSB, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Attorney General chambers, the Solicitor General chambers, the Ministry of Public Service, and the NIRA family.

Joseph N. Biribonwa, Chairperson of the NIRA Board, who was present at the function, expressed pleasure in witnessing the official handover of the function. Biribonwa emphasized that the function consolidates NIRA’s efforts and sees the completion of the registration cycle of natural persons under NIRA.

He reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to deploy cutting-edge technologies, consolidate registration services, and ensure that the marriage function grows, transcends, and excels.

The handover comes at a time when marriage registration is a global concern. Worldwide, marriage rates are falling, with countries like the U.S. reporting historic lows. Yet, reliable data remains scarce, especially in low-income regions where incomplete civil registration is common.

Uganda is, however, stepping ahead. And according to the 2024 census, 50.6% of Ugandan adults (18+) are formally married, with an additional 26.6% cohabiting (which appears a low hanging fruit to be harvested by NIRA).

With NIRA now managing the entire civil registration cycle, the country is well-positioned to lead by example in data-driven governance, legal identity, and social protection.