Former Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire has questioned the effectiveness of Uganda’s digital number plate system, saying it offered limited additional security benefits over existing police surveillance technology during his tenure.
Otafiire, now the Minister of Water and Environment, told Parliament that he had raised concerns about the technology before its implementation, particularly its ability to detect number plate tampering, integrate with existing police systems and justify the reported US$25 million software cost.
He made the remarks while appearing before Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Mwine Mpaka, which is investigating the implementation, cost and performance of the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS).
Otafiire said he had questioned the compatibility of the proposed system with Uganda’s existing surveillance infrastructure, which he said relied on Chinese technology, while the new system involved technology associated with Russia.
“I said what is coming from Russia does not necessarily match with what we have on the ground, because the technology we have is Chinese,” he told MPs, arguing that compatibility should have been established before the systems were integrated.
He said he consulted police officials, Makerere University and colleagues in Kenya, who, according to him, also expressed reservations about the technology.
To illustrate his concerns, Otafiire recounted an experiment in which number plates were removed from a vehicle and taken to his office on Jinja Road while the vehicle remained elsewhere.
He said the system failed to alert him that the plates had been separated from the vehicle, raising questions about its ability to detect tampering and prevent criminals from transferring or using stolen number plates.
“The numbers can be removed, and the numbers will be removed,” Otafiire said, expressing doubt about whether the digital number plates had significantly improved vehicle security.
He also questioned the need for the additional system, saying police already had technology capable of tracking vehicles and enforcing traffic regulations before ITMS was introduced.
Otafiire said attempts to integrate the contractor’s platform with the existing police system had created operational challenges, at one point nearly triggering a strike by traffic officers.
However, former Works and Transport Minister Edward Katumba Wamala offered a different perspective, citing his experience with police surveillance technology in the investigation into the assassination attempt against him on June 1, 2021.
Katumba, who is now the Minister of Public Service, told the committee that he had personally benefited from the police surveillance system, which helped investigators trace suspects involved in the attack.
“I am a beneficiary of the system which the police is operating,” Katumba said, adding that the technology helped him identify the suspects when he appeared in court.
His testimony highlighted the role of surveillance technology in investigating serious crimes, although he expressed uncertainty about whether the additional features introduced under the digital number plate project had significantly enhanced the existing capabilities.
The contrasting accounts have raised questions about whether ITMS has delivered sufficient improvements in vehicle tracking and security to justify the additional expenditure.
MPs also questioned the reported US$25 million software cost, demanding evidence that the investment was commensurate with the system’s performance and the benefits delivered to the country.
The committee further scrutinised the project’s financial model, including charges of Shs50,000 and Shs150,000 for some existing number plates, compared with the Shs714,300 figure discussed for new digital plates.
Legislators also questioned why motorcycles should attract the same charge as motor vehicles, given the differences in their design and use.
Winstone Katushabe, the Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety at the Ministry of Works and Transport, defended the need for modernisation, saying Uganda required a reliable vehicle registration system to improve tracking, strengthen enforcement and maintain accurate records throughout a vehicle’s life cycle, from registration to disposal.
Katushabe also told the committee that Uganda was losing an estimated Shs100 billion to Shs150 billion annually through irregularities involving vehicles entering the country through porous borders.
The committee is seeking greater accountability over the project’s costs, implementation and performance. It has demanded a review of the financial model, verification of the contractor’s investment and clear performance indicators to establish whether the system is meeting its intended objectives.
The inquiry comes amid growing scrutiny of the costs and benefits of technology-based public security projects, particularly where new investments are expected to improve systems already operated by government agencies.
While Katumba’s testimony points to the value of police surveillance in investigating serious crimes, Otafiire’s concerns have put the additional capabilities of digital number plates under scrutiny.
The committee’s findings are expected to help establish whether ITMS has delivered value for money, whether its integration with existing police systems is effective and what changes may be necessary to improve its performance.
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