Former EC Vice Chair appointed Board Chair of NIRA

By; Our reporter

14^th Jan. 2020

Cabinet has approved the appointment of Joseph N. Biribonwa as the new Chairperson of the Governing Board of the National Identification and Registration Authority(NIRA).

The government agency is mandated with the registration of births and deaths in the country as well as developing a national identification register for both citizens and legal residents.

Joseph N. Biribonwa, the former Vice Chairman of the Electoral Commission, boasts of more than 40 years of professional experience, in the area of democracy and governance, management and administration and finance and corporate governance.

At the NIRA board Chairperson, Biribonwa will be deputized by Former Kalangala Woman Member of Parliament Ruth Nvumetta Kavuma, who has been serving as the Board Chair in an acting capacity, since the resignation of the substantive Chairperson Prof. Peter Kasenene in 2018.

The other members of the board are Dr Betty Kivumbi Nannyonga – Member, Maj. Gen. Apollo Kasita-Gowa – the representative of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, James Saaka – the representative of the National Information Technology Authority-NITA-U, and Bemanya Twebaze, the representative of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau.

Also on the board is Dr Paul Kintu – Representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Dr Chris Ndatira Mukiza – Representative of Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Members whose term has not been renewed on the board include Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the chairman Electoral Commission, Dr Benon Mutambi, the permanent secretary Internal Affairs Ministry, Godfrey W. Sasaga, the former Director for Citizenship and Immigration, and Patrick Kabunakuki.