Katumba, Otafiire disagree over functionality of ITMS tracking system

What the report says

Uganda’s Parliament is reviewing the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), the digital numberplate project at the centre of a wider inquiry into procurement, implementation and performance. According to The Independent Uganda, former ministers Gen. Katumba Wamala and Gen. Kahinda Otafiire gave sharply different accounts when they appeared before the Physical Infrastructure Committee in Kampala.

Katumba, who previously served as minister of works and is now minister of public service, defended the project as a security measure intended to help police track vehicles, detect crime and integrate with other government systems. He said the initiative followed a presidential push for technology that could support investigations involving vehicles and motorcycles, and noted that several state bodies were involved, including police, the UPDF, the finance ministry and the Solicitor General.

Otafiire, now minister of water and environment and formerly internal affairs minister, questioned whether the technology can do what government promised. He told MPs that the system appeared closer to a fleet-management tool than a robust security platform, and said tests he observed left him unconvinced that it could reliably track movement once numberplates were removed. He also raised concerns about compatibility with existing CCTV infrastructure and about the procurement process.

The committee’s inquiry continues as lawmakers examine whether the system delivers value for money and the crime-detection benefits cited by government. The article does not establish the system’s current operational status, but it shows renewed scrutiny of a project that has drawn public attention because of its cost, contractor arrangements and promised security gains.