Finance Ministry Faces Contempt Threat Over Digital Number Plates Probe

What the report says

Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee has warned the Ministry of Finance that it could face contempt proceedings if officials keep failing to appear before lawmakers investigating the financing of Uganda’s digital number plates project. The committee, chaired by Mwine Mpaka, is examining how the project was structured and how the costs and obligations were calculated, amid concerns about a model reportedly tied to large payments from both government and the public.

According to the report by Nile Post, the committee says ministry officials have repeatedly missed invitations to explain the arrangement, offering reasons such as unavailability or needing more time to review the issues. Mpaka said the repeated absences were unacceptable and signaled that Parliament may act if the ministry continues to ignore summons.

The lawmakers are especially focused on a financial model that Mpaka says could require payments totaling Shs3.3 trillion to the contractor implementing the project. The committee is also questioning reported assumptions behind the plan, including projections that each Ugandan would commit four traffic offences a year, leading to an estimated Shs800,000 in annual payments per person.

The inquiry matters because it raises broader questions about public spending, contract approval, and the financial burden on motorists. The committee is expected to present its findings to Parliament in the coming weeks.