Digital Number Plates Boost Stolen Vehicle Recovery to 90 Percent, Security Minister Reports

The digital number plate tracking system is proving effective in combating vehicle theft, according to the Minister of Security, Hon. Jim Muhwezi. Appearing before the House Committee on Physical Infrastructure on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Muhwezi stated that the system has facilitated the recovery of a substantial majority of stolen vehicles.

The committee, chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, had convened to address concerns regarding delays in the issuance of digital number plates. Legislators sought clarity on the functionality of the tracking system, with Hon. James Waluswaka referencing a presidential directive for trackers following the 2018 assassination of Hon. Ibrahim Abiriga.

Minister Muhwezi affirmed the system’s efficacy, citing an instance where a stolen police vehicle was successfully traced to Kenya and recovered thanks to the digital plates. “The system is working; it covers the whole country. A Police vehicle was stolen and the system traced it to Kenya, and it was recovered because of the digital plates. So, it covers Uganda and beyond,” he stated.

Felix Baryamwisaki, Director of ICT at the Uganda Police, elaborated on the statistics, revealing that out of 375 stolen motor vehicles recorded, 337 have been recovered, achieving a 90 percent recovery rate. However, he noted a lower recovery rate of 22 percent for stolen motorcycles, with 174 out of 782 recovered. Baryamwisaki assured the committee that efforts are underway to address this discrepancy, clarifying that the tracking mechanism relies on GPS rather than cameras.

In other developments, the Ministry of Works and Transport reported a significant reduction in the waiting time for digital number plates, down from an average of 19 days in December 2025 to just two days in September 2026. The committee, however, questioned the high cost of Shs714,000 for the plates, deeming it unaffordable for many Ugandans, particularly motorcycle riders.

Lawmakers have scheduled a visit to the Integrated Transport Management System (ITMS) monitoring center to gain a practical understanding of the digital number plate technology and its operational capabilities. This inspection aims to complement their review of the project’s policy and contractual framework.

Source: Parliament of Uganda