President Museveni Warns Uganda Digital Plates MPs Over Inaccurate Reports

• President Museveni cautioned Ugandan Members of Parliament against inaccurate reports concerning the digital number plates project.
• The President emphasized the project's primary role in strengthening national security.
• Legislators had raised concerns about escalating costs and contractual terms with Russian firm JSCGS.
• The initiative, involving an Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), originated from a 2018 directive to enhance vehicle tracking after high-profile assassinations.
• The government is currently reviewing the financial model, particularly revenue sharing with the contractor.

President Yoweri Museveni recently issued a stern warning to Members of Parliament scrutinizing the Uganda digital number plates project, cautioning against the dissemination of inaccurate reports and underscoring the initiative's critical role in bolstering national security.

President Yoweri Museveni recently issued a stern warning to Members of Parliament scrutinizing the Uganda digital number plates project, cautioning against the dissemination of inaccurate reports and underscoring the initiative's critical role in bolstering national security. This admonition, conveyed by Yunus Kakande, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, followed a State House meeting held on Thursday. During this gathering, legislators voiced significant concerns regarding the project's escalating costs, its technical capabilities, and the specific contractual arrangements with the Russian firm Joint Stock Company Global Security (JSCGS).

The President acknowledged the constitutional mandate of Parliament to conduct oversight, yet he advised legislators to refrain from reaching conclusions without first engaging thoroughly with all the technical teams responsible for implementing the Uganda digital number plates project. Kakande elaborated that President Museveni emphasized that for a project designed for national security, parliamentary reports must be accurate. He further noted that there had been no prior discussions or negotiations between the technical teams and the MPs that would justify claims of the system not functioning, a point which the Members of Parliament reportedly accepted.

The genesis of the Uganda digital number plates project can be traced back to a directive issued by President Museveni in 2018. This directive aimed to significantly enhance vehicle identification and tracking capabilities across the nation, a measure prompted by a series of high-profile assassinations, including that of Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga. Subsequently, in 2021, the Ugandan government formalized an agreement with JSCGS, a Russian entity, to develop and deploy the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) contract.

Reports indicating a substantial increase in the estimated contract value for the Uganda digital number plates project have fueled parliamentary inquiries, raising questions about the additional financial burdens on the state and the system's capacity to deliver its promised security benefits. Currently, motorists are required to pay Shs 714,300 for a digital number plate kit when registering new vehicles or motorcycles. For the replacement of existing conventional plates, the cost is Shs 150,000 for vehicles and Shs 50,000 for motorcycles. Kakande clarified that the President was not misled into approving the technology; rather, the Russian representative directly approached Museveni, demonstrating the software's potential for criminal apprehension, which initiated the project as a security program for vehicles.

The parliamentary investigation into the Uganda digital number plates project, spearheaded by the Physical Infrastructure Committee under the leadership of Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, has specifically focused on alleged deficiencies within the vehicle tracking technology. During these parliamentary proceedings, opinions diverged among former government officials. General Katumba Wamala, the former Works Minister, staunchly defended the initiative as an indispensable intervention for national security, while General Kahinda Otafiire, the former Internal Affairs Minister, expressed doubts regarding its overall effectiveness.

Despite these differing perspectives, Permanent Secretary Yunus Kakande maintained that the technology is operational, asserting its capability to locate any vehicle nationwide, even if certain components still require refinement. He reiterated that the primary objective of the Uganda digital number plates project remains security, and the system is performing effectively towards that goal. Furthermore, Kakande confirmed that the government is actively reviewing the project's financial model, with a particular focus on establishing an equitable revenue-sharing mechanism between the Russian contractor and the Ugandan government.

This story highlights the intense political and parliamentary scrutiny surrounding major government technology contracts in Uganda, particularly those with national security implications. Lawyers advising foreign investors or local companies on large-scale public procurement projects should anticipate rigorous oversight, potential investigations into contractual terms and costs, and the need for robust justification, especially when national security is invoked.

Source: Original reporting via the provided source material.