Gen. Otafiire Cites Ignored Warnings in Digital Number Plate Project Failures

Uganda’s ambitious digital number plate project, intended to enhance security and traffic management, has been plagued by operational failures and financial setbacks, largely due to ignored early warnings, according to former Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire.

Gen. Otafiire revealed to the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure that multiple stakeholders had raised serious concerns about the viability of the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) before its implementation. He personally engaged with the police, who reportedly deemed the system unworkable. Similarly, technical experts at Makerere University advised against proceeding, citing potential operational challenges.

Further underscoring these concerns, Gen. Otafiire mentioned consultations with a colleague in Kenya, who indicated that similar initiatives in their country had already failed. His own attempts to find successful international case studies for the ITMS also proved fruitless, raising significant red flags about the project’s design and feasibility.

Despite these grave concerns voiced by the police, academics, and international comparisons, the project moved forward. Gen. Otafiire, who now heads the Ministry of Water and Environment, shared these revelations as the committee delves into the implementation issues that have led to the project’s current difficulties and the substantial financial losses incurred.

The testimony suggests a disconnect between on-the-ground expertise and the decision-making process, contributing to the project’s ongoing struggles. Further investigations by the parliamentary committee are expected to shed more light on how these warnings were overlooked and what steps can be taken to rectify the situation.

Read more: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/how-ignored-warnings-missing-feasibility-studies-plagued-uganda-s-digital-plates-project-5630898