Whistleblowers ask Museveni, IGG to halt Shs158bn digital plates deal

Whistleblowers have asked President Yoweri  Museveni and the Inspectorate  General of Government to halt a proposed Shs158 billion procurement by the Ministry of Works and Transport, involving the same company implementing Uganda’s controversial Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS).

The group, identifying themselves as concerned citizens and whistleblowers from the transport and road safety sector, wants the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), Auditor General and Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) to investigate the proposed procurement before government commits the money.

They claim the ministry is in advanced stages of procuring Modular Motor Vehicle Registration Components from Joint Stock Company Global Security, the foreign company contracted to implement the ITMS and digital number plates project.

The whistleblowers argue that the proposed procurement raises questions about whether government is paying for functions that were already covered under the original ITMS arrangement.

“The original ITMS justification was that it would provide end-to-end registration, tracking and number plates. Procuring registration components separately from the same vendor amounts to paying twice for the same function,” the group said in an alert.

The proposed Shs158 billion expenditure comes amid continuing questions over the cost, implementation and procurement arrangements of the ITMS project.

The digital number plates are part of the wider ITMS system introduced by government to modernise motor vehicle registration, improve vehicle tracking and strengthen road safety and security.

However, the whistleblowers want government to explain why additional registration components are being procured from the same provider and whether these functions were included in the original contract.

They also question the continued reliance on Global Security, warning that this could create what they describe as “vendor lock-in”, with one foreign company becoming responsible for critical aspects of Uganda’s motor vehicle registration system.

“This hands over Uganda’s entire motor vehicle registry, data sovereignty and future revenue to a single foreign entity,” the group said.

The whistleblowers have also questioned the cost of the proposed procurement, describing the Shs158 billion price tag as excessive.

Their concerns come as motorists continue to pay for the digital number plates, which cost Shs714,300 for a new set for a motor vehicle. The rollout has also attracted complaints over delays and shortages.

Kampala City Traders Association recently told Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure that shortages and delays in obtaining digital number plates were affecting motor vehicle dealers. The association also questioned the capacity of the service provider to meet demand.

The latest concerns therefore put the spotlight on the proposed Shs158 billion procurement and its relationship with the existing ITMS contract.

The whistleblowers have asked President Museveni and the Minister of Works and Transport to stop the procurement pending a review.

They want the IGG, Auditor General and PPDA to investigate the procurement process and establish whether the proposed components duplicate functions contained in the original ITMS contract.

They have also asked Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure and the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to summon officials from the Works and Transport ministry to explain the need for the additional expenditure.

The group wants the review to establish what exactly the Shs158 billion will finance, whether the components were contemplated in the original ITMS agreement and why Global Security remains the preferred provider.

“We shall not allow Uganda to be mortgaged through number plates,” the whistleblowers said.

The claims have not independently established that government will pay twice for the same services or that the proposed procurement has violated procurement laws. Those questions would require examination of the original ITMS contract, the proposed procurement documents and responses from the Ministry of Works and Transport, PPDA and Global Security.

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