Uganda's Parliament is wrapping up a wide-ranging investigation into the Intelligent Transport Management System digital number plates project, with the Committee on Physical Infrastructure set to meet President Museveni this week to complete its inquiry. The investigation has centred on a contract awarded to Joint Stock Company Global Security and has examined concerns over contractual irregularities, implementation delays and the legality of revenue collection under the scheme.
The Auditor General Edward Akol and officials from his office have already presented preliminary audit findings to the committee, which has engaged 19 entities as part of its examination. Committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka said Museveni would be consulted last because of his role in conceiving the project. 'The President will be the last authority we interact with. As the vision bearer, he ought to have an input on what he originally envisioned for the project versus the actual deliverables,' Mpaka said. The committee wanted to establish whether the original vision had been reflected in the actual implementation.
Lawmakers have identified what they describe as misuse of presidential directives during the contracting and implementation stages. Mpaka stated: 'We have discovered a misuse of presidential directives to abuse the law in the implementation of the project. There are many mistakes in the contract that make it questionable whether they were not intended.' The committee has raised questions about how presidential directives were applied and the provisions in the agreement governing the project.
The inquiry has also focused on financial management and revenue handling. The committee has obtained documentation from three bank accounts held by the contractor to track the flow of funds into and out of the company. Mpaka said: 'To further beef up the report over queries on collections, we have secured documentation from three bank accounts of the entity to assess all inflows and outflows.' The investigation is examining the management of revenue generated through the sale of digital number plates and the collection of traffic fines.
Additional questions remain unresolved. Lawmakers are seeking clarification on whether the contractor was properly registered and gazetted before beginning operations, and the legal basis under which government ministries allowed a private company to collect public revenue. The committee's final report is expected to be presented to Parliament following the meeting with Museveni.
For business operators and motorists, the investigation's findings could affect how digital number plates are managed going forward and the legal basis for revenue collection from traffic fines.