Ugandans to pay for installation of digital trackers in their cars, motorcycles by government

Government has said Ugandans will have to pay for the installation of digital trackers in their vehicles and motorcycles a move aimed at augmenting the security apparatus of the country.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, the Security Minister, Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi said cabinet on Monday approved the move to have all vehicles and motorcycles installed with security tracking devices.

“With this project, we shall be able to know where any motor vehicle is at any particular time,”Muhwezi said.

At the height of urban criminality in Uganda in 2018, President Museveni revealed that government will introduce electronic number plates for all vehicles and motorcycles.

“We shall require every motorist and motorcyclist to have electronic number plates with an electronic signal in them – to be incurred at the cost of every owner. This will enable us to know which vehicle or piki piki (motorcycle) was in a particular area when crime was committed,”Museveni said during the State of the Nation address in 2018.

Speaking earlier this month, the president said, “Every vehicle and motorcycle must have a centralized digital monitor. If you try to remove it, we shall go for you. It will show us where you are at any one time. As soon as there is a crime, we go. I don’t want any wasting time in investigations.”

On Tuesday, the Security Minister revealed that the project will be handled by Global Security; a company that this website has learnt is from Russia and offers a number of services including deployment and support of integrated information security systems.

“We are working with a company(Global Security) which has technology. We shall kick off the exercise next month by signing a contract and the company will roll out centres around the country to register every vehicle and motorcycle afresh,” Muhwezi said.

When asked the amount of money set aside by government for the project, the Security Minister insisted that government will not inject in any coin but rather the public will pay for the services.

“Each individual will pay for the tracking devices like you pay for permit or third party insurance before putting the vehicle on the road. All vehicles will be registered to ensure they have that tracking device in them.”

According to the minister, there is a management committee composed of officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport, Police, Ministry of Security, NITA-U and KCCA among others.

Winston Katushabe, the Commissioner of Transport and Road Safety in the Ministry of Works and Transport in 2019 said that ministry will come up with a new system for registration of all vehicles and motorcycles.

After registering vehicles and motorcycles and put in central system, it would be easy to track them on their electronic number plates.

According to officials the new database will be reconciled with the electronic Express Penalty System and this way, motorists will be easily monitored.

The new system will also see data of all driving permit holders from Face Technologies integrated with the ones for   Police and Uganda Revenue Authority to help track defaulters.

The entire system will also be linked to the CCTV system which was rolled out throughout the country in a bid to overhaul the entire traffic monitoring system using latest technology.