Otafiire, Katumba clash over digital number plates

KAMPALA. A parliamentary inquiry into Uganda’s controversial digital number plate project has exposed conflicting accounts by two former ministers over whether the technology can deliver the vehicle-tracking and crime-detection capabilities used to justify its introduction.

Retired Major General Kahinda Otafiire, the Minister of Water and Environment, questioned the effectiveness of the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), saying tests he witnessed raised doubts about its ability to track vehicles after their number plates were removed.

Gen Katumba Wamala, the former Works and Transport minister, defended the project, saying it was conceived as a security intervention to help police detect crime and investigate offences involving vehicles and motorcycles.

The contrasting accounts emerged as the two ministers appeared before Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee, which has been investigating the procurement and implementation of the digital number plate project for nearly two months.

At the heart of the inquiry is whether the system supplied by Russian firm Joint Stock Company Global Security can deliver the capabilities government promised, and whether the project represents value for money.

Questions over functionality

Mr Otafiire told MPs that the technology appeared to operate more like a fleet management system than the sophisticated security platform presented to government.

He said police had indicated that its capabilities were inferior to those of systems already available to commercial transport operators.

Otafiire also questioned whether the system could reliably establish a vehicle’s movements when its number plates were detached, raising concerns about its usefulness in tracking vehicles suspected of involvement in crime.

His reservations, he said, began before implementation, when he questioned whether the Russian technology would be compatible with Uganda’s existing CCTV surveillance infrastructure, which he said relied on Chinese technology.

He further faulted the procurement process, arguing that police, as the intended users of the system, had not been adequately involved in negotiations with the contractor.

According to Otafiire, police officers who participated in a due diligence visit told him they had not taken part in the negotiations.

He said he also consulted researchers, police officers and contacts in Kenya to establish whether the technology would work as intended, but remained unconvinced.

Despite his concerns, Otafiire told the committee that implementation proceeded after he came under pressure to allow the project to move forward.

His testimony raises questions about whether technical concerns were adequately addressed before government committed to the project.

Katumba defends security rationale

Gen Katumba, now Minister of Public Service, offered a different account, tracing the project to government efforts to address insecurity and improve investigations involving motor vehicles and motorcycles.

He told MPs that President Museveni had directed government to adopt technology capable of tracking vehicles and supporting police investigations, while discouraging government agencies from developing separate systems.

The initiative, he said, brought together several government institutions, including the police, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Ministry of Finance and the Solicitor General.

Katumba also said the original plan provided for technology transfer to Uganda, with the National Enterprise Corporation eventually taking over some aspects of the project, including number plate production.

His defence centred on the security objectives behind the initiative and the need to integrate vehicle monitoring into government operations.

However, the explanation did not, in itself, resolve the technical questions raised by Otafiire about the system’s actual performance.

What Parliament must establish

The ministers’ accounts highlight two distinct issues confronting the committee: whether government followed the appropriate processes in procuring the technology and whether the installed system can perform the functions for which it was acquired.

While Katumba explained the security rationale behind the project, Otafiire challenged the technology’s capabilities and the level of police involvement in its procurement.

Neither account independently establishes the system’s current operational status or whether the technical concerns raised by Otafiire have since been addressed.

The committee will need to examine the ministers’ submissions alongside evidence from technical officials, police, the contractor and other stakeholders to determine whether the system meets the requirements set out in the contract.

It will also need to establish the extent to which the promised technology transfer has been implemented and whether the National Enterprise Corporation is positioned to take over the designated functions.

The inquiry comes amid wider concerns about the cost of digital number plates, the contractor’s role and the financial arrangements underpinning the project.

Ultimately, MPs must determine whether the procurement delivered a functional security system, whether the public received value for money and who should be held accountable if the technology falls short of the promised capabilities.