news 2 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Parliament Investigates Shs4 Billion Weekly Loss from Digital Number Plate Delays
Uganda's Parliament has launched an inquiry into significant delays in the issuance of digital number plates, a situation causing an estimated Shs4 billion loss per week. Stakeholders, including car dealers and traders, have raised concerns about supply shortages and increased costs impacting the automotive market. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/parliament-launches-probe-into-digital-number-plate-delays-costing-shs4b-weekly-5581602
The Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure has initiated a thorough investigation into the ongoing delays and administrative challenges plaguing the rollout of digital number plates across Uganda. Lawmakers are concerned that these issues are costing the nation in excess of Shs4 billion weekly.
Led by Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, the committee’s fact-finding mission began after receiving numerous complaints from key players in the transport sector. Mr. Mpaka stated that the committee intends to seek direct input from President Museveni to help resolve the impasse.
“It has now come to our attention that we are losing over Shs4 Billion per week because of these delays in digital number plates,” Mr. Mpaka announced. He added that the daily issuance of plates has drastically reduced from 350 to just 100.
The committee aims to identify the root causes of the supply chain disruptions and understand their broader economic impact. The probe is expected to conclude within three weeks and will involve questioning officials from relevant government bodies and the contracted Russian firm, Joint Stock Company Global Security, which is part of the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) project.
Frustration is mounting among businesses, particularly vehicle dealers and importers, who are experiencing severe stock shortages and prolonged administrative delays. The Kampala City Traders’ Association (KACITA) has questioned the capacity of the Russian firm to meet market demand, citing a complete scarcity of plates in June and July that caused significant hardship.
KACITA also highlighted the prohibitive cost of the new digital plates, which has negatively affected sales. While previous plates cost around Shs137,000, the new ones are priced at Shs714,300 for initial registration, significantly impacting the volume of vehicle purchases.
Associated Motor Dealers echoed these concerns, criticizing the bureaucratic inefficiencies between the Ministry of Works, ITMS, and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). They are calling for a streamlined system and accountability for the installation of tracking equipment.
The probe faced an initial delay as the Minister for Security requested more time for stakeholders to prepare their submissions. However, officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport were reportedly still unprepared to present their case during a scheduled session.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)