And now, with thousands of Ugandans rushing to collect renewed national IDs, the question being asked is simple: why can’t NIRA decentralise collection to parish level? And behind the current chaos lies a damning picture of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), contained in the Auditor General’s findings. THE ID NIGHTMAREBut it is the national ID exercise where the crisis becomes most visible to ordinary Ugandans. Instead of forcing citizens to travel to distant district or municipal collection points, NIRA could decentralise the process to parishes. And with millions seeking new cards at the same time, the pressure on collection points has become enormous.