Minister: Digital plates deal is unlawful

What the report says

Uganda’s digital number plates programme has come under fresh scrutiny after Sam Mayanja told Parliament that the state’s agreement with Russian company Joint Stock Company Global Security is, in his view, not legally binding. Speaking before the Physical Infrastructure Committee chaired by Mwine Mpaka, the minister argued that key conditions needed for a valid contract had not been met and said the government could not properly commit to the deal without the required technical and financial groundwork.

The Observer reports that MPs are examining the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System, which is meant to introduce digital plates and vehicle-tracking technology. The project has long drawn questions over cost, financing and legality. According to evidence presented to the committee, the private firm was expected to invest $257 million, while officials said $115 million had been invested by July 2026. Parliament also questioned a model under which the investor would recover money through traffic-offence revenue, including a reported 80% share of such collections.

Committee members raised concerns that key supporting documents were missing, including a feasibility study, risk assessment, value-for-money analysis and a review of contingent liabilities. Mayanja argued that traffic fines should go to the Consolidated Fund and warned that relying on penalties to finance the project could conflict with existing law. The article also says MPs are probing the reported Shs 714,300 cost of each plate and have questioned officials over the figures submitted to Parliament.

The dispute matters because it goes beyond a single procurement issue: it touches on how Uganda funds a compulsory national transport system, whether public charges are properly justified, and whether the programme rests on a secure legal basis.