Millions of Ugandans denied vital services over digital ID cards, Reuters report

According to the data of the Ugandan government, a quarter of Ugandan adults, or 4.5 million people, did not have a biometric identity card in 2020, which reportedly dismissed women from health centres and prevented old people from claiming welfare payments. This means that many Ugandans, who lack digital identity cards, are still struggling to access vital public services and entitlements. ‘There are significant weaknesses in the digital ID system. Applying it to service delivery is causing exclusion for many people, especially the poor and the vulnerable,’ noted the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) head Salima Namusobya. She further called upon the government to “immediately” end the requirement of the ID card, known as ndaga muntu, to access social rights.