Elderly diabetic woman dies at NIRA ID collection point in Adjumani 

An elderly woman who was diabetic has died after standing in the long queue to collect her national identity card.

Her sudden death has caused significant concern among residents, district officials and NIRA staff in Adjumani district.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Adjumani RDC Toko Swaib demanded that priority be offered to the vulnerable groups amid surging ID collection crowds in the district.

He confirmed that in Ofua sub-county, an elderly woman reportedly collapsed and died while waiting in a long queue.

RDC Toko on Tuesday urged NIRA to prioritise persons with special needs and warned that no more persons should die in the queue.

According to RDC Swaib, the sheer volume of people attending the exercise has created pressure on service points, exposing gaps in how vulnerable groups are handled.

“The district has received over 70,000 national IDs for the 11 sub-counties. And the leadership has now resolved that there are two distribution points at the NIRA headquarters here in Adjumani and also, they have decentralised to sub-counties.

District Registration Officer for NIRA, Fred Balaba acknowledged the challenges faced by both officials and the public, noting that the high turnout is a direct result of the large number of cards recently delivered to the district.

“In Adjumani, we received about 70,000 cards with people receiving messages telling them to come and collect their cards. Currently, there are a number of people in the office, but we are handling them. And also, gladly, we have a small team that is moving around the sub-counties.”

“So far, we’ve been to Itirikwa and Ofua. Right now, they’re in Pakele and starting tomorrow (April 29) they’re going to be in JP. We know there are not enough days, but currently, that’s what we can do.”

Balaba’s statement highlights efforts already underway to ease congestion, including mobile outreach teams that deliver services closer to communities. However, he admitted that time and manpower constraints remain significant obstacles.

Despite these efforts, the growing crowds at both the central NIRA office and decentralised points continue to strain the system. Many residents arrive early in the morning, hoping to be served quickly, only to spend hours waiting.

Balaba emphasised that measures are being taken to ensure fairness and protect vulnerable groups, even amid the pressure.

“We realise the number of people we are dealing with. So, we are giving priority to pregnant women, women with young children, PWDs, and then finally the rest of the people.”