Museveni to Meet MPs As Digital Number Plate Probe Nears Conclusion

President Yoweri Museveni is expected to meet Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure as lawmakers finalise an investigation into the controversial Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), commonly known as the digital number plate project.

Committee Chairperson Mwine Mpaka said the planned meeting with the President would help legislators address outstanding questions concerning the project’s financial arrangements, contractual implementation, taxation and national security implications.

The committee intends to conclude its consultations and present its findings to Parliament next week.

Mpaka said the inquiry had already involved 19 stakeholders, with the President being the final person the committee hopes to engage before completing its work.

The request for a meeting was reportedly channelled through the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, with the committee seeking an audience before Sunday.
“We are more or less concluding our investigations into the digital number plate. We have one more stakeholder to meet, who is none other than the President of the Republic of Uganda,” Mpaka said.

The proposed engagement comes as the committee examines whether the project was implemented in accordance with the law and whether the contractual arrangements adequately protected the interests of the government and motorists.

Auditor General Examines Project Finances
As part of the investigation, the committee has engaged the Office of the Auditor General to examine the financial aspects of the project.
Mpaka said the committee had held a closed-door meeting with the Auditor General to review preliminary findings and establish the scope of the audit.

However, he noted that the five-day period initially allocated for the exercise was insufficient to complete a comprehensive examination of the transactions involved.

According to the committee chairperson, the audit process is still underway, although preliminary observations have been shared to guide legislators as they assess evidence collected during their inquiry.

The completed audit is expected to be submitted to Parliament under Article 163(4) of the Constitution before being referred to the relevant accountability committees for further examination.

Mpaka said the committee was determined to ensure that its conclusions were supported by documentary evidence rather than assumptions.

Bank Statements Under Scrutiny
The committee has obtained bank statements from three financial institutions where accounts linked to the project company, referred to by Mpaka as Joint Stock, are held.

The documents are being analysed to establish the movement of funds, the revenue collected from motorists and the financial obligations arising from the project’s operating model.

Mpaka said the volume of financial records had made the exercise demanding, with investigators reviewing individual transactions to establish the facts.

He declined to reveal the amount of money collected from motorists through the digital number plate system or the outstanding sums the company expects to recover under its contractual arrangements.

The figures, he said, would be addressed in the committee’s final report.

The financial review is expected to provide Parliament with a clearer picture of how the project has operated and whether its commercial arrangements complied with the agreed terms.

MPs Raise Questions Over Contract Drafting
Beyond the financial investigation, the committee is examining the contract governing the implementation of the digital number plate project.

Mpaka said lawmakers had identified several weaknesses in the drafting of the agreement but declined to disclose their details before the report was completed.

He said the committee would establish whether the identified problems resulted from deliberate actions or other circumstances as part of its final findings.
“There were mistakes done in the drafting of this contract. So many mistakes, which you will see in the report,” he said.

The committee is also investigating whether the company complied with the legal and contractual requirements governing its registration and operations in Uganda.

Mpaka declined to confirm the company’s registration status, explaining that releasing certain details before the conclusion of the inquiry could compromise the committee’s work.

He said the investigation had moved beyond the circumstances under which the contract was awarded to focus on how the project was executed and whether the parties involved fulfilled their legal obligations.
“Our interest is in the how,” Mpaka said.

The committee chairperson also criticised the Ministry of Finance for failing to attend proceedings despite receiving six invitations.

However, Mpaka said the ministry had submitted written responses, which legislators would consider alongside the other evidence collected during the investigation.

He added that the committee had informed Parliament’s presiding officers about the ministry’s failure to appear and would include copies of the invitations in its report.

Mpaka maintained that the ministry had been given an opportunity to explain its position and that its written submissions would form part of the material considered by the committee.

The inquiry has taken longer than anticipated partly because of difficulties obtaining information and the security-sensitive nature of some aspects of the project.

Mpaka said the committee had to balance the need for transparency with the responsibility to protect information that could affect national security.

Presidential Directives Also Under Examination
Another issue the committee intends to raise with Museveni concerns what Mpaka described as the misuse or misinterpretation of presidential directives by public officials.

He said some officials appeared to treat presidential instructions as overriding their technical responsibilities and existing legal requirements.

The committee wants to examine how such directives were interpreted and applied during the implementation of the project.

Mpaka said the investigation would not be limited to identifying administrative shortcomings but would also assess the conduct of the institutions and individuals involved.

He added that the committee would not protect any person or institution found responsible for wrongdoing, although its final conclusions would depend on the evidence gathered.

The digital number plate system was introduced partly to improve vehicle identification and strengthen security operations.

However, the project has attracted public scrutiny over its contractual arrangements, financial implications and implementation.
The committee’s forthcoming report is expected to outline its findings and recommendations for consideration by Parliament.

Mpaka said the committee wanted its report to go beyond the issues previously examined in relation to the contract by providing a detailed account of the project’s implementation and the responsibilities of the parties involved.

The report will ultimately be presented to Parliament, where legislators will determine the appropriate course of action based on the findings and recommendations.