

2 February 2025, 3:27 pm
By Ronald Ssemagonja
The Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), through their chairman, Dr Thadeus Naggenda Musoke, stated during a media briefing at their head office in Kampala that the government should not rush to implement the digital number plate project. “As many of us may be aware of the digital number plate project, KACITA Uganda has learned that the implementation of the government’s move to issue new registration plates through a joint-stock company to Ugandans has started under the regulations gazetted by the Ministry of Works and Transport, but at the cost of Ugandans,” Musoke said.
On 14 June 2023, after observing some concerns about the system, KACITA Uganda petitioned the Parliament of Uganda and the Ministry of Trade regarding the issue. “Since 1 November 2024, a large number of motorcycles have been stolen, but it is shocking that some motorcycles that went missing in December 2024, with the current digital number plates, have not been traced despite the tireless efforts of the owners to recover them,” Musoke explained.
According to KACITA Uganda, they have encountered challenges in system integration, payment reflection, and reconciliation. It takes 3 to 5 days to have a number plate fitted, and another 3 to 5 days to have a logbook issued. “It is evident that the current service provider doesn’t have enough capacity to stock number plate materials. There is already a scarcity of number plates, which is greatly affecting our business operations. We have also realised that the system assumes all transactions are cash-based, requiring direct ownership of the assets. This violates hire purchase, deferred payment, and other instalment arrangements,” he said.
KACITA Uganda states that there should be more training and capacity-building opportunities for the installation and maintenance of the number plates, particularly for local players. “We already petitioned the Parliament of Uganda again over the same issue for their urgent intervention, and we gave them an ultimatum of 30 days to respond. If this is not honoured, we will have no choice but to devise other advocacy means. The costs of the new number plates should not exceed 200,000 shillings for a new one on motor vehicles and 130,000 shillings for motorcycles, with the replacement fee maintained at 50,000 shillings for all categories,” he said.
KACITA Uganda feels that the public, as well as the Ministry of Works and Transport, are not ready for the project to begin. “We don’t need to rush such a sensitive project unless there is another hidden objective apart from what is apparent. Giving this project an extra year and implementing it in a phased manner, beginning with government vehicles and motorcycles, would be a great exemplary move,” Naggenda said.
The chairman of Namayiba Taxi Park, Mr Faizo Lule Sebirumbi, speaking on the same issue, said that while the project is a very good idea, the costs being asked by the Ministry of Works and Transport are very high, and the majority of people cannot afford them within the required period. He therefore urges the Ministry to reduce the costs so that everyone can afford the project, as it will help in one way or another in fighting crime in the country.