The Minister for Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen, (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, has said he has no knowledge of the company, Joint Stock Company Global Security that is supposed to undertake the issuance of digital number plates in Uganda.
He revealed this to the Committee on Physical Infrastructure on Tuesday, 22 August 2023.
The Minister informed Parliament that the letter he wrote to President Museveni advising him not to contract a Russian Company to manage the digital number plates project in Uganda was hidden and he doubts whether the letter was ever delivered to President Museveni because he never received a reply.
“I wrote that the Russian company can work with the current manufacturers of number plates in Uganda and explore the possibility of putting their chips on the number plates in Uganda. I intimated to him that it would be a bit insensitive for us to shut down a local manufacturer in favour of the importation of number plates when we can do it here. I never received a reply, I doubt whether the President received that communication,” Kahinda told MPs.
Kahinda also denied authorising Joint Stock Company Global Security to use the Police CCTV cameras, after MPs raised concerns that the company might be hacking into Uganda’s security system.
Otafiire further denied knowing the Russian Company, saying his Ministry and the Police have never held talks with the Russian Company, despite being key stakeholders in Uganda’s security.
“And the ICT managers of the Police tell me there will be complications if we try to integrate the two systems. The Police are insisting we should go for the 3rd Phase of the CCTV project, it would play the same role as what these people are suggesting,” he said.
The minister also admitted that he is unhappy about the increase in costs of digital number plates from Shs150,000 to Shs714,300 and neither the Police nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs had a hand in the pricing.
“I am unhappy about the cost, but unfortunately, I am not the one who determines the cost. I have heard about the cost in the press, but nobody has brought it to my attention to address, so my role in that aspect is limited. Everything else is hearsay like you see it in the press, that is how I see it, that is the limit to our engagement,” noted Kahinda.
Hon. Jonathan Ebwalu (Indp., Soroti West Division) asked the minister about his knowledge of the contract with the company to supply the digital number plates.
“How did this company from Russia come to Uganda, who signed the contract with them? The minister said he does not know but he should be responsible,” Ebwalu said.
Otafiire responded saying he would have taken responsibility if he had been a signatory on the contract, which he insisted he knew nothing about.
“This thing started in 2019, I am just a cog in the whole machine. I do not know who is doing what. What is disappointing is that the Police who would have been the principal actor was largely kept out,” he added.
Otafiire also told the committee that he authorised a team to carry out due diligence on the Joint Stock Company Global Security and its station in Russia.
“The team brought back a report and informed me that there were no digital number plate manufacturing companies in Russia and that such a service is only being provided in Poland,” said the minister.
Asked by Hon. Maurice Kibalya (NRM, Bugabula County South) about his knowledge of the company setting up fitting centres at different bonds in the country, the minister said he was not aware of it.
“Are you aware that this Joint Stock Company is also phasing out local companies that have been manufacturing number plates?” Kibalya asked.
Otafiire said the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) halted the decision to phase out local number plate-making companies in Uganda.
“The IGG is supposed to have halted the whole project. The IGG instructed the Ministry of Works not to halt the production of number plates,” he noted.
Asked by the committee chairperson, Hon. Dan Atwijukire, on whether he had documentation to the effect of the information, the minister only attributed it to “…information that amounts from the press”.
Hon. Ebwalu faulted the minister for his lack of knowledge of the project being investigated by the committee.
“The ministry has got very many departments including Police, Prisons and Immigration. I cannot know every single detail in every department. I am a macro-manager, not a micro-manager,” Otafiire responded.
The digital number plate project under the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System will be implemented in a phased manner and managed by Joint Stock Company Global Security for 10 years before it is handed over to the government.
New vehicle and motorcycle owners will pay Shs714,000 for the digital number plates while already registered road users will be required to pay Shs150,000 and Shs50,000 for vehicles and motorcycles.
However, the Tororo District Woman Representative, Hon. Sarah Opendi, has petitioned Parliament on the high cost of the new number plates expected to be rolled out on 31 October 2023.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General, John Musinguzi, has warned against increasing the cost of number plates from Shs150,000 to Shs714,300 saying such a move would deplete the incomes of Ugandans, especially boda boda riders.
“If the cost is prohibitive, maybe a number of vehicle owners may not afford the number plates. I think it is important that the negotiators go for the most optimal because there is a benefit they want to achieve, but also a cost that would be draining money from taxpayers which could be spent on other areas, other than this technology. Charging Shs714,300 from boda boda, probably registration and clearance of boda bodas will significantly reduce, but I don’t have the numbers,” Musinguzi noted.
