Former Works and Transport Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala and former Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire have given sharply contrasting accounts of Uganda’s digital vehicle tracking system during Parliament’s investigation into the project.
While Katumba defended the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) as a tool for strengthening national security, Otafiire dismissed it as “useless” — although he acknowledged that he did not know its current performance.
“I don’t know whether they have improved, whether they have made it even better,” Otafiire told Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee.
His criticism focused on the project’s earlier implementation, including what he described as the installation of only two computers at the Police Command Centre.
“You know, they brought two computers. I’ve been away for a little time, so I don’t know if it would have improved, but my honest view is that there was no value added,” he said.
Katumba, however, told MPs that the project originated from President Museveni’s directive to establish an integrated vehicle-monitoring system to support Police investigations.
“The whole project was mainly a security-related project,” Katumba said.
He explained that Police, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Ministry of Finance and the Solicitor General participated in the initiative.
Gen Katumba Wamala defended the project as a “key security intervention aimed at detecting crime through integrated vehicle monitoring.”
He further said the “arrangements also envisaged technology transfer and eventual involvement of the National Enterprise Corporation.”
Police recovery figures
The disagreement comes after Police presented vehicle recovery figures to Parliament and committee members witnessed a live demonstration of the system.
On September 30, Police Director of ICT AIGP Felix Baryamwisaki told MPs that 337 of 375 reported stolen motor vehicles had been tracked and recovered, representing a recovery rate of approximately 90 percent.
Committee members, led by chairperson Mwine Mpaka, subsequently visited the Police Command Centre at Naguru on October 2.
“Yes, indeed, we have established that cars and motorbikes can be tracked. The issue of digital number plates is clearly important. We just need to see how we can improve the system,” Mpaka said.
The demonstration confirmed the system’s tracking capability, although questions about its costs, procurement and overall implementation remain before the committee.
Otafiire questioned the sophistication of the technology, comparing it unfavourably with commercial platforms.
“Uber is a more advanced system than what we have on the ground because these are just the trackers,” he told MPs.
He also challenged the decision to move away from the previous number plate supplier.
“Why did we abandon Wavamunno who were making number plates?” he asked.
Businessman Gordon Wavamunno’s GM Tumpeco had supplied vehicle registration plates under a longstanding government contract dating back to 2004.
Earlier objections
Otafiire’s concerns date back to August 2023, when he appeared before the same committee as Internal Affairs minister and questioned the project’s procurement arrangements and Police involvement.
The digital number plate programme was officially launched in November 2023 and continued expanding during his tenure, which ended in June 2026.
That timeline puts the response to his earlier objections under scrutiny: what action followed, and how were the shortcomings he identified addressed?
During his handover in June, Otafiire publicly complained that some senior Police officers had repeatedly ignored his instructions.
In his latest testimony, he defended the earlier Huawei-equipped Police CCTV system, while acknowledging that it lacked nationwide coverage and that some cameras were not functioning.
“It didn’t cover the whole country,” Otafiire said.
“Of course, some of them are not working, but that’s a technical problem, you know.”
The CCTV infrastructure has itself faced questions over maintenance and oversight.
In May 2026, President Museveni ordered senior officials onto forced leave over allegations of bribery linked to Shs31.37 billion in CCTV maintenance payments.
Source By Chimp Reports
