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This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Birth Registration
Uganda
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Uganda
Birth Registration
Declaration and Notification
Declaration and Notification
Informants
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for births that occur in the community?
Registration
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law designates all headquarters of subcounties, town councils and municipalities in Uganda; the headquarters of divisions in Kampala Capital City; and the offices of village and parish councils, as registration centers for birth registration. The registration process at these registration centers does not differ from that at other registration centers. No other specific role is mandated by law for local leaders or local authorities.
Does the law provide a process for the registration of births occurring in prison or other detention facility?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The process is not entirely clear. According to the Act, where a birth occurs in a prison, orphanage, barracks or quarantine station, the officer in charge of the establishment must ensure that the parents or guardian or person having charge of the child notifies the registration officer of the birth. According to the regulations, where a birth occurs in a prison, orphanage, barracks or quarantine station, the officer in charge of the establishment must notify the registration officer of the birth. Note that prisons, lawfully gazetted places of detention and centers of detention for children (including remand homes) are designated as registration centers.
Certain health facilities (government hospitals, government health centers and other government health facilities as well as licensed private health facilities) have been designated as registration centers in terms of the Act. For other medical facilities, the administrator of the medical facility acting under the guidance of the registration officer of the area, must record the particulars of a birth notified at that medical facility and forward the records of the notification to the National Registration and Identification Authority. A “medical facility” is defined as including a hospital, registered medical clinic, health unit, nursing home, maternity center, or specialized establishment, whether private or public, as well as a government unit of a similar nature. Where a birth occurs in a hospital, the officer in charge of that hospital has a duty to ensure that the parents, guardian or person having charge of the child notifies the birth.
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Either parent
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The Act gives the primary duty to notify a birth occurring outside a health facility equally to both the father and the mother of the child, followed by the occupier of the house in which the child is born and then by the guardian or the person having charge of the child. The regulations on birth registration give the primary duty of notification to the father or mother, followed by the occupier of the house in which the child is born, the guardian or person having charge of the child, and the birth attendant or midwife who delivers the child.
The Registration of Persons Act places the primary duty to notify a birth on the child’s father and mother, followed in their absence (in cases other than births at home) by the guardian or the person having charge of the child. Where a birth occurs in a hospital, the officer in charge of that hospital must ensure that the parents, guardian or person having charge of the child notifies a registration officer of the birth. A wide range of health facilities (government hospitals, health centers and other government health facilities as well as licensed private health facilities) have been designated as registration centers in terms of the Act, so the notification of a birth that occurs at any of these facilities can be made at that facility.
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for births that occur in the community?
Registration
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law designates all headquarters of subcounties, town councils and municipalities in Uganda; the headquarters of divisions in Kampala Capital City; and the offices of village and parish councils, as registration centers for birth registration. The registration process at these registration centers does not differ from that at other registration centers. No other specific role is mandated by law for local leaders or local authorities.
Does the law provide a process for the registration of births occurring in prison or other detention facility?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The process is not entirely clear. According to the Act, where a birth occurs in a prison, orphanage, barracks or quarantine station, the officer in charge of the establishment must ensure that the parents or guardian or person having charge of the child notifies the registration officer of the birth. According to the regulations, where a birth occurs in a prison, orphanage, barracks or quarantine station, the officer in charge of the establishment must notify the registration officer of the birth. Note that prisons, lawfully gazetted places of detention and centers of detention for children (including remand homes) are designated as registration centers.
Certain health facilities (government hospitals, government health centers and other government health facilities as well as licensed private health facilities) have been designated as registration centers in terms of the Act. For other medical facilities, the administrator of the medical facility acting under the guidance of the registration officer of the area, must record the particulars of a birth notified at that medical facility and forward the records of the notification to the National Registration and Identification Authority. A “medical facility” is defined as including a hospital, registered medical clinic, health unit, nursing home, maternity center, or specialized establishment, whether private or public, as well as a government unit of a similar nature. Where a birth occurs in a hospital, the officer in charge of that hospital has a duty to ensure that the parents, guardian or person having charge of the child notifies the birth.
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Either parent
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The Act gives the primary duty to notify a birth occurring outside a health facility equally to both the father and the mother of the child, followed by the occupier of the house in which the child is born and then by the guardian or the person having charge of the child. The regulations on birth registration give the primary duty of notification to the father or mother, followed by the occupier of the house in which the child is born, the guardian or person having charge of the child, and the birth attendant or midwife who delivers the child.
The Registration of Persons Act places the primary duty to notify a birth on the child’s father and mother, followed in their absence (in cases other than births at home) by the guardian or the person having charge of the child. Where a birth occurs in a hospital, the officer in charge of that hospital must ensure that the parents, guardian or person having charge of the child notifies a registration officer of the birth. A wide range of health facilities (government hospitals, health centers and other government health facilities as well as licensed private health facilities) have been designated as registration centers in terms of the Act, so the notification of a birth that occurs at any of these facilities can be made at that facility.
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for births that occur in the community?
Registration
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law designates all headquarters of subcounties, town councils and municipalities in Uganda; the headquarters of divisions in Kampala Capital City; and the offices of village and parish councils, as registration centers for birth registration. The registration process at these registration centers does not differ from that at other registration centers. No other specific role is mandated by law for local leaders or local authorities.
Does the law provide a process for the registration of births occurring in prison or other detention facility?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The process is not entirely clear. According to the Act, where a birth occurs in a prison, orphanage, barracks or quarantine station, the officer in charge of the establishment must ensure that the parents or guardian or person having charge of the child notifies the registration officer of the birth. According to the regulations, where a birth occurs in a prison, orphanage, barracks or quarantine station, the officer in charge of the establishment must notify the registration officer of the birth. Note that prisons, lawfully gazetted places of detention and centers of detention for children (including remand homes) are designated as registration centers.
Certain health facilities (government hospitals, government health centers and other government health facilities as well as licensed private health facilities) have been designated as registration centers in terms of the Act. For other medical facilities, the administrator of the medical facility acting under the guidance of the registration officer of the area, must record the particulars of a birth notified at that medical facility and forward the records of the notification to the National Registration and Identification Authority. A “medical facility” is defined as including a hospital, registered medical clinic, health unit, nursing home, maternity center, or specialized establishment, whether private or public, as well as a government unit of a similar nature. Where a birth occurs in a hospital, the officer in charge of that hospital has a duty to ensure that the parents, guardian or person having charge of the child notifies the birth.
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Either parent
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The Act gives the primary duty to notify a birth occurring outside a health facility equally to both the father and the mother of the child, followed by the occupier of the house in which the child is born and then by the guardian or the person having charge of the child. The regulations on birth registration give the primary duty of notification to the father or mother, followed by the occupier of the house in which the child is born, the guardian or person having charge of the child, and the birth attendant or midwife who delivers the child.
The Registration of Persons Act places the primary duty to notify a birth on the child’s father and mother, followed in their absence (in cases other than births at home) by the guardian or the person having charge of the child. Where a birth occurs in a hospital, the officer in charge of that hospital must ensure that the parents, guardian or person having charge of the child notifies a registration officer of the birth. A wide range of health facilities (government hospitals, health centers and other government health facilities as well as licensed private health facilities) have been designated as registration centers in terms of the Act, so the notification of a birth that occurs at any of these facilities can be made at that facility.
