The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Government has announced an extension of the SIM-card verification exercise to May 19, 2017 from April 20.
The decision to extend the deadline rendered a High Court case filed in Kampala to stop implementation of the deadline “useless”, according to court’s Assistant Registrar Joy Kabagye Bahinguza.
The High Court ruling was read to both parties in the case at 3.30pm. It follows a letter presented to court by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) lawyer Edwin Karugire signed by the Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda extending the on-going sim-card verification exercise by 30 days.
UCC had been taken to court after they last week issued a 7-day ultimatum on SIM-card verification.
The applicant’s lawyer Eron Kiiza also welcomed this position saying their main concern was the deactivation of sim-cards by tomorrow, but since govt has seen the light of day to extend this time, he will address other concerns of documentation and identification in the main case fixed for hearing on May 15th, 2017 before Justice Stephen Musota.
Its on this basis that the assistant registrar Kabagye ruled that since the concern of the applicants has been addressed by government, their application is now over taken by events and each party should bear its own costs.
Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda made the announcement in a tweet hours before the High Court ruling on the same matter.
Government has decided & directed that the #SIMCardRegistration #SimcardVerification exercise be extended to 19th May 2017. @UCC_Official pic.twitter.com/REXKvByQXm
— Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda (@RuhakanaR) April 19, 2017
UCC had earlier defended the move to use National IDs for SIM-card re-registration saying it is a superior identification document capturing all bio-metrics and personal identification particulars done at the local council level.
UCC legal manager Victoria Sekandi told court that due to numerous security complaints UCC received from Police, coupled with the difficulty police finds in investigating and detecting serious crimes like murder and terrorism, stakeholders resolved that all telecom subscribers use national ID’s for SIM-card re-registration.
Sekandi had said she is aware that since all Ugandans are entitled to National ID cards , there is no need to use passports which are travel documents issued by use of a national ID save for foreigners who are not entitled to this particular ID.
She had asked court not to block the exercise because granting the interim order will impede law enforcement organs from detecting serious crimes committed by mobile phone users.
The hearing of the Interim Order was in camera with only UCC lawyers and the Jobless brotherhood applicants, appearing before the Assistant Registrar Joy Kabagye Bahinguza.
One of the Jobless Brotherhood’s founders Norman Tumuhimbise together with Rights Trumped Ltd went to court, saying the time frame issued by UCC is inadequate to cover the millions of Ugandans who use mobile phones.
Through Nuwagaba and Mwebesa advocates, they had wanted court to issue an interim order against the 7-day ultimatum and orders permanently blocking such ultimatums since it’s a continuous process for Ugandans to purchase mobile phones and sim-cards.
UCC last week ordered all Ugandan subscriber to re-register their sim-cards with their telecoms or risk being switched-off.
Thousands flock to Kololo, Mao to fight SIM-card registration #Simcardregistration #Uganda https://t.co/mtnvDEzPIo pic.twitter.com/byIiHgEEWK
— The Independent (@UGIndependent) April 19, 2017
The Jobless Brotherhood describe themselves as “a non partisan youth platform for exposing and curbing youth exploitation, manipulation, desertion, unemployment and corruption in Uganda.”
They are better known for the protests against graft and cronyism in which they drop piglets usually around parliament. The Brotherhood claims to have 5,000 members.
What’s was the complaint?
The Jobless Brotherhood challenged the act of UCC restricting Ugandans to only use National IDs as the official identification document for this exercise and denying them the right to use their passports and other official documents issued by the Ugandan government.
According to court documents, they argued that the use of passports to register sim-cards is only a privilege of foreigners.
Tumuhimbise of the Jobless Brotherhood further argued that Ugandans in the dispora are also being discriminated by this 7-day ultimatum since their mobile phones will be switched- off without registration centers set up abroad.
DP to join concerned citizens on today’s UCC case
The opposition Democratic Party revealed Tuesday they would join concerned citizens in challenging the directive by the Uganda Communications Commission.
Addressing a press conference at the DP Headquarters, Party President Norbert Mao said the other forms of identification like the passport and driving permit should be allowed in this exercise.
“The National ID is not the only form of identification. There are drivers’ licenses, there are passports. Dp is going to apply to join the case by concerned citizens on a single ground that it is unconstitutional and has no legal basis,”said Mao.
SIMCARD: Jobless Brotherhood drags UCC to court over #simcardregistration today https://t.co/dPYK4ImyVJ #Uganda pic.twitter.com/z4Fu2QDvll
— The Independent (@UGIndependent) April 19, 2017
Thousands flock NIRA for National Identity cards to beat Thursday simcard registration deadline
The National Identification and Registration Authority ( NIRA) has said they will not rush their citizen verification process to cater for the sudden rush by Ugandans to register before the SIM-card verification deadline. NIRA have even tightened the requirements to check likely loopholes.
The NIRA headquarters at the Kololo Independence Grounds was on Wednesday a bee hive of activity with those seeking to get new Identification documents (IDs). Subscribers are scrambling to beat the Thursday deadline by the Uganda Communications Commission that will have all SIM-cards without synchronized National ID particulars disconnected.
Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Manager, Gilbert Kadilo said despite the long queues, NIRA will not seek reinforcements in terms of human personnel saying majority of the Ugandans who qualify for National IDs received them.
“I want to emphasize that NIRA is not going to make any extraordinary arrangements outside our current operation framework for purposes of SIM-card verification,” said Kadilo.
He however noted that those who fail to beat the Thursday deadline by UCC will still have their disconnected SIM-cards re-activated as soon they get their IDs or National Identification Numbers.
“Those that genuinely registered for national IDs and haven’t received them yet, can request for the national identification number as they wait for their National IDs. However, persons who applied yesterday, today and those who will apply tomorrow should not expect to get ID numbers immediately. We cannot compromise our process because of the validation exercise,” said Kadilo.
“I only want to reassure those who may miss the deadline for verification, if you receive your National Identification Number, you will be in position to use the information to reactivate your number”, said Kadilo.
NIRA: Only those who had NINs April 11 will beat SIMcard deadline #Simcardregistration… https://t.co/43Qt0nqCuU pic.twitter.com/rzpJ7lZfJp
— The Independent (@UGIndependent) April 17, 2017
Tighter security now at NIR
Kadilo also revealed that they have tightened the requirements for fresh applicants for National IDs which among other things require the applicant to seek the signature of the Gombolola Internal Security officer ( GIS0).
He said a letter signed by the LC1 chairperson with an attachment of either of one’s parents’ ID shall be taken to the sub-county for the GISO for counter endorsement.
“The Local council 1 (LC1) chairperson has to certify and his National identification number must be included on the letter because we now want to work backwards where we suspect that the information provided to us in citizenship is incorrect.”
He stated that those whose parents are deceased shall be required to present IDs of next of kin who must be older than the applicant.
According to Kadilo, NIRA has produced 16,815,976 ID cards all together including cards from the mass registration exercise and subsequently when NIRA embarked on continuous registration.
He said 14,000,531 cards have been issued to their owners whereas 1,543,931 cards haven’t yet been collected by the owners as of last week.
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editor@independent.co.ug
Certain obvious issues shouldn’t waste out time like extension of deadlines by the government. Has it ever stuck to a deadline including completing projects, investigations etc? Site worthy examples.
Registration is good but a wastage of our time for reasons below;
– All phone companies registered card owners and that information or databases should have been sent to NIRA for review, irrespective of the ID used.
– We provided our numbers to NIRA when registering.
– Imagine the amount of time wasted every time a government official wakes from their slumber in a knee jerk reaction. Time is money hence value our time.
-Uganda can’t develop to middle income status with disorganized ministries/MDAs. Interdepartmental communication is a backbone to good service delivery.
I
M
Happy
Boy