MPs test out digital number plate tracking system

What the report says

Parliament’s committee on Physical Infrastructure has reviewed Uganda’s digital number plate system and said it found the technology can track vehicles effectively. According to The Observer, the lawmakers, led by committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka, visited the Police Command Centre in Naguru to see how the system works after stakeholders raised questions about its security, tracking ability, costs, delays and wider performance.

The visit followed earlier hearings in which police ICT director AIGP Felix Baryamwisaki told MPs that 337 of 375 stolen motor vehicles had been tracked and recovered, which he said amounted to a 90% recovery rate. The committee wanted a practical demonstration rather than relying only on figures presented in parliament, and MPs reportedly tested the system using their own number plates. Mpaka said the exercise showed that cars and motorbikes could be tracked, while the committee also looked at how information is processed and used by police.

The article says MPs were shown the operational setup at Naguru and were told how the technology supports identification and recovery of vehicles. Deputy CDF Sam Okiding said he was satisfied that data is stored in Uganda. The committee also inspected the number plate production line, where officials said output stood at 2,500 kits a day. The Observer reported that the backlog had been cleared and that registration and fitment times had fallen, which the committee viewed as important context in its continuing scrutiny of the project.