Digital number plate backlog cleared as registration time falls to two days

What the report says

Uganda’s government says the backlog in the digital number plate programme has been cleared, with registration and fitment times at Kampala vehicle bonds dropping sharply, according to Nile Post. The report says the average processing time fell from 19 days in December 2025 to two days in September 2026, after shortages of plate components were addressed in August 2026.

The update comes as Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure continues to examine how the programme has been rolled out. The committee, chaired by Mpigi West MP Mwine Mpaka, has been questioning officials and stakeholders over delays that had affected motorists, vehicle dealers and other users. Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama earlier intervened after complaints about slow issuance in July.

Winston Katushabe, the Ministry of Works and Transport’s commissioner for transport regulation and safety, told MPs that the situation had improved and that installation kits were now available. The ministry said vehicles arriving through the Malaba and Mutukula one-stop border posts can be fitted in about three hours, while the share of cases completed within two days at Kampala bonds rose from 33% in July to 72% in September.

The ministry also told Parliament that the digital system has helped enforcement and revenue collection, and is being used in some police investigations. The committee is expected to keep monitoring the programme as it reviews evidence from government and other stakeholders.