NIRA Officially takes over Marriage Registration mandate from URSB

It has been revealed that NIRA has already attained over UGX 734 million in Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) among other key milestones, since taking over the function in late September 2024. Summarily, since assuming the function, NIRA has celebrated over 1,250 civil marriages under the office of the Registrar General, filed 3,460 Christian marriages, and over 256 customary marriages registered. NIRA has also licensed over 64 churches to conduct marriages.

This came to light, at a function in which the Government of Uganda, witnessed an official hand over of the marriage registration function from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to NIRA, solidifying NIRA’s role as the central Agency responsible for the full cycle of vital events registration in Uganda.

The handover ceremony, held at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre (UBFC), was presided over by representatives from the Ministry of Public Service, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the leadership and Boards of both URSB and NIRA.

The Registrar General of URSB~Mercy K. Kainobwisho, who was upbeat in her remarks during the event, acknowledged the binding decision of Government as strategic.

“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.

The thawing words of the Executive Director, Ms. RoseMary Kisembo, bring more hope to the function that is quickly becoming less popular in the Western world. According to her, “NIRA is an organization that’s growing and transcends all barriers it encounters, during the extension of its services across the country.”

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.

Several representatives could not hold back their earnest gratitude for the seamless transfer of the function. Highlighting that, the transfer has been conducted with transparency and integrity. No scandal, no drama, except progress, a peculiar undertaking since the realization of, Rationalization of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX).

The milestones achieved by NIRA could be attributed to its ability to quickly roll out engagements with stakeholders, deepening relationships and ensuring that all actors in the marriage registration process, get to understand their key roles in carrying out the marriage function and filling returns.

Mr. Joseph N. Biribonwa, Chairperson of the NIRA Board, who was present at the function, expressed pleasure in witnessing the official handover of the function. Mr 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.