MPs probe digital number plate monopoly as manufacturers cite delays, high costs

What the report says

Uganda’s Parliament has begun examining complaints over the country’s digital number plate programme, after the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) urged lawmakers to look into the monopoly held by the foreign company contracted to produce and install the plates. The discussion took place on Monday, September 28, 2026, before the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure, chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka. UMA said the system has brought delays, higher costs and disruptions to business operations.

According to the Watchdog Uganda report, the government signed a 10-year agreement in 2021 with Russia-based Joint Stock Company Global Security, giving it sole responsibility for the plates. UMA board chair Richard Mubiru said the security benefits promised for the project were not yet clear, while also noting that the arrangement had displaced earlier local manufacturers. Stakeholders at the meeting also described long waits after payment, with some users saying they had been asked to pay again or had not received plates for months.

Boda boda representatives and clearing industry officials raised separate concerns about pricing, customer service and the system’s effectiveness in recovering stolen motorcycles or tracing vehicles. The company’s project manager, Damir Makhmutov, said the firm had enough technical capacity and blamed some delays on disrupted international shipments linked to conflicts abroad. He also said the company could carry out 1,500 installations a day, though recent figures cited at the meeting were lower.

The committee is expected to finish its inquiry and present recommendations to Parliament. The issue matters because it touches on procurement, transport regulation, business costs and whether the digital tracking system is delivering the security gains that justified it.