Uganda sued over digital ID programme
Three charities in Uganda are suing the government over the Ndaga Muntu digital ID program, claiming that systemic design flaws have caused over one-third of adults to be excluded from accessing crucial services. The lawsuit aims to decouple government services from the digital system until issues are resolved or improvements are made. Introduced over 7 years ago, the program has hindered individuals, particularly the elderly, from obtaining essential social assistance and healthcare.
Three charities have sued the Government of Uganda over the country’s digital ID programme Ndaga Muntu.The charities – the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights, Unwanted Witness and the Health Equity and Policy Initiative, estimate that over
one-third of adults have been excluded from the system. This is due to systemic problems with the design of the system, where for example people who are old and entitled to social assistance and healthcare cannot access these services as they cannot get the card. The suit seeks for the government services to be delinked from digital ID, or at a minimum, digital ID problems to be resolved before it is linked to government services. The system was introduced over 7 years ago.
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