Uganda gears up to roll out of Aadhaar-like ID system, eyes UPI adoption

In a major push to digitize citizen services, Uganda is set to roll out an Aadhaar-like digital identification system based on India-developed open-source technology and is exploring the adoption of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to cut down transaction costs across the economy.

In an interview with ANI, Rosemary Kisembo, CEO of Uganda's National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), confirmed that Uganda has fully customized the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) to align with its domestic laws and will launch five modules--new registration, renewal, correction of errors, replacement of lost ID, and first-time ID issuance--in the coming weeks.

MOSIP is an open-source digital identity platform developed in India to help governments build secure and inclusive Aadhaar-like national ID systems.

The rollout of the ID system marks a key milestone in Uganda's digital transformation journey, as it transitions from a brownfield ID system to a modern, interoperable platform. "We have had an immense year of interactions. It has been a very enriching experience, one that we look forward to deepening across sectors and communities," Kisembo said.

Kisembo said the pilot project in this regard is already underway. In the next two to three months, Uganda will also integrate its ID system with birth and death registrations.

Beyond identity, the country is now eyeing India's UPI as a model for instant, low-cost digital payments. "The immediate benefit of UPI will be a reduction in the cost of transactions. It creates a free wallet for every citizen, enabling seamless money movement," Kisembo added.

Highlighting India's achievement of scaling Aadhaar to over a billion people, she said the "leapfrog of India cannot be ignored" and offers valuable lessons for countries like Uganda. However, she flagged the need for sustainable funding models to support the expansion of such digital infrastructure in Africa. "Raising capital in Africa remains a challenge. We hope to interest not just technologists, but also capitalists willing to take a risk with Africa," she said.

India's MOSIP platform, developed by the International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru (IIIT-B), is already in use in Sri Lanka, Morocco, the Philippines, Guinea, Ethiopia, and Togo. Uganda joins a growing list of countries adopting the technology to issue unique digital identities.