A concerned citizen, Kagingo Muhammad Brutus, has petitioned the High court seeking an interim injunction to halt the ongoing rollout of digital number plates and the collection of automated express traffic penalties, citing fraud, illegality, and conflict of interest in the process.
In his suit, Kagingo alleges that Joint Stock Company Global Security, the firm contracted to implement Uganda’s controversial digital number plate project, is fraudulent and non-existent in law.
He claims the company was struck off the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) register for failing to file returns for over five years and was not legally recognised when it was awarded the multi-billion shilling contract.
He further argues that Global Security was never gazetted, as legally required, before it began collecting traffic-related fees, casting doubt on the legality of the now-suspended Express Penalty System (EPS).
Kagingo states in his affidavit that the entire process has been riddled with irregularities – from the dubious legal standing of the contractor to the opacity of the penalties being levied on motorists.
Missing VAT, conflicts of interest
Kagingo also accuses the firm of tax evasion, alleging that traffic penalty receipts are not reflected on the Uganda Revenue Authority’s Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System (EFRIS), suggesting non-remittance of Value Added Tax (VAT).
Kagingo further alleges a conflict of interest involving Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who, while serving as the government’s chief legal adviser, is also a partner at K&K Advocates, the law firm representing Global Security in the case.
He argues that the same Attorney General charged with upholding public interest shouldn’t be the same person to defend a company accused of defrauding Ugandans, saying it undermines public trust in the country’s legal institutions.
When the interim application came up for hearing on Wednesday before deputy registrar Simon Zirintusa Kintu, the state represented by Mark Muwonge from the Attorney General’s office and Richard Babigamba of K&K Advocates raised preliminary objections, seeking dismissal of the application with costs.
They argued that Kagingo had improperly listed two Russian nationals, Ivan Shkardan and Makhmutov Damir, directors of Global Security, as individual respondents instead of suing the company as a legal entity.
The registrar directed both parties to file and exchange written submissions, with a ruling on the interim injunction expected on July 10, 2025.
The digital number plate project was announced in June 2021 by Security minister Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi, as part of President Yoweri Museveni’s ten-point security master plan to combat urban criminality.
Every motorist would be required to install tracking-enabled number plates, at their own cost. The 10-year contract was awarded to Global Systems LLC, a Russian firm, with a revenue-sharing model heavily tilted in the company’s favour 70 per cent to the company in the first two years, shifting to an even split in year four, and eventually 70 per cent to government from year six onwards.
But the rollout has been marred by legal challenges, public outrage over harsh penalties, and concerns about data privacy and national security. Legal heavyweights Male Mabirizi and Isaac Ssemakadde have also filed suits challenging the project.
Following a wave of protests and social media uproar, the ministry of Works and Transport this week announced the suspension of the Automated Express Penalty System (AEPS) with immediate effect, citing a “comprehensive review.”
“Effective tonight at midnight, implementation of AEPS is suspended,” the ministry said in a late Wednesday statement.
Indeed such electronic tagging of urban cars to prevent criminality can be processed cheaply by the local companies on the vehicle chassis bodies and engines themselves and not on the modern legal and well printed number plates of all vehicles in this poor African country. Under modern digital technology world wide, if a number plate of a vehicles is badly damaged, it should take only about Shillings 20000/- and 10 minutes to get a new print out. Of course the bright criminals are way ahead concerning this expensive business of using sophisticated electronic automotive vehicles for committing henious crimes. This NRM long serving government that badly needs campaign money, is certainly dreaming badly. Investing over 400 dollars in such a Russian dodgy project that can be sorted out with available local technology is throwing good money after bad!
In other words, that “the Joint Stock Company Global Security, the firm contracted to implement Uganda’s controversial digital number plate project, is fraudulent and non-existent in law… “, and fuzzy head, Gen Jim Muhwezi, is the invisible hand behind this scheme to rob Ugandans blind. Therefore, since the guy seems to be corrupt by birth he should be CENSORED and thrown out of office and banned for life from public office!
Wachireba BASHUMA MUNONGA?
Digital number plates are to catch Agasirwe, Kay.. Bakaleke, those flying squad police officers who kill then come tomorrow to investigate.
The thieves of uganda had jumped high to milk ugandans mbu EPS, which is a police department also, in charge of traffic
Kagingo the Plaintiff is right these fines don’t have the so called mandatory URA VAT EFRIS on them like they have been pushing on the rest of Ugandan businesses.
Also how does the A.g’s office raise a preliminary objection that Kagingo had improperly listed two Russian nationals, Ivan Shkardan and Makhmutov Damir, directors of Global Security, as individual respondents instead of suing the company as a legal entity.
He already stated clearly there was no legal entity registered in Uganda under URSB as Global Security as it was removed from their registry.