Kampala — OFFICIALS from the Uganda National Identification Project (UNIP) last week visited the United Kingdom, to gather information about the National Identification System.

The Government, through the directorate of citizenship and immigration control, is in the final stages of implementing the system.

The system, expected to be ready in 2010, will identify citizens and non-citizens and ease the issuing of travel and other documents.

The chairman of the Uganda National Citizenship and Immigration Board (NCIB), Jotham Tumwesigye, led the five-man delegation to the 11th world conference and exhibition on the application of biometrics.

"We held meetings with senior officials of the UK Border Agency and exchanged ideas on the prevention of identity fraud," Tumwesigye said.

The UNIP operations and public relations manager, Marcelllino Bwesigye, said: "The system was designed to use biometrics like; fingerprints, palm prints, iris or face shapes."

He explained that biometrics is a unique physical characteristic, which is difficult to forge.