By Karim Were
A heated parliamentary session on internal affairs has exposed twin pressures facing government, rising public concern over jobs and a deepening crisis in national ID distribution, after the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, dismissed complaints that refugees are taking employment from Ugandans.
Appearing before Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee on April 1, 2026, Otafiire argued that refugees and foreign nationals are merely filling economic gaps left by citizens.
“These refugees and foreigners engage where Ugandans have not seen opportunity,” Otafiire said. “We should encourage Ugandans to dominate those trades instead of complaining about competition.”
He cited the dominance of Ugandans in the boda boda sector as evidence that locals can outcompete foreigners where they actively participate.
However, the remarks triggered pushback from legislators, with Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo urging government to tighten controls on refugee inflows, warning of growing economic exclusion. “They are encroaching on opportunities of Ugandans. Your citizens are being marginalised,” Ssekikubo argued.
Uganda hosts more than 1.6 million refugees, one of the largest refugee populations globally, under a progressive policy framework that allows freedom of movement and the right to work, as provided for under the Refugees Act, 2006 and aligned with international obligations such as the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
Otafiire defended the policy, saying refugee self-reliance reduces the fiscal burden on taxpayers. “If a refugee can support themselves, it eases pressure on government resources. They are not refugees out of choice,” he said.
The session also turned spotlight on operational challenges at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), with MPs raising alarm over millions of uncollected national identity cards.
NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo revealed that while the authority printed 12 million cards and distributed 10.5 million to districts, only three million have been collected, leaving about nine million unclaimed.
The national register has grown from 60.2% to 75.6% population coverage, following the mass enrolment exercise targeting 17.2 million new registrations and 15.8 million renewals. However, only about half of new registrations were achieved.
Lawmakers cited poor communication, logistical inefficiencies, and congestion at collection centres.
Mukono North MP Abdallah Kiwanuka questioned the lack of clear notification systems: “People line up only to be told their IDs are not there. What criteria is used to inform citizens where to collect their IDs?”
Kagoma North MP Brandon Kintu recounted being redirected from Kampala to Gulu to pick his ID, citing disorganisation and poor customer care.
Kisembo attributed the crisis to severe staffing shortages and funding constraints, noting that only 418 staff are tasked with distributing millions of cards, translating to a ratio of 1 staff per 100,000 citizens. Funding for the mass exercise reportedly ran out in February 2026.
Kisembo acknowledged reports of bribery and extortion within NIRA operations but said enforcement remains weak due to lack of follow-through by complainants. “When people receive the service, they lose interest in pursuing cases. Without complainants, prosecution becomes difficult,” she said.
The NIRA Act mandates the authority to maintain a credible national identification system critical for service delivery, elections, and national security, raising concerns that the current bottlenecks could undermine broader governance and planning frameworks.
The debate reflects broader tensions in Uganda’s labour market, where high youth unemployment, estimated at over 13% by official figures, but significantly higher in informal assessments, collides with an open refugee policy often praised internationally.
At the same time, delays in ID issuance risk excluding millions from accessing essential services, including banking, voting, and social protection programmes.
As Parliament scrutinises the 2026/27 Ministerial Policy Statements, both the refugee employment debate and NIRA’s operational challenges are likely to shape budget priorities, and test the government’s ability to balance humanitarian commitments with domestic economic pressures.
