A number of top officials involved in the set-up of the controversial Electronic Penalty System (EPS) penalty scheme have intimated to The Observer that the extremely high road penalties for motorists are partly motivated by government’s desire to fast-track the payment of the contractor’s investment.
The system was recently set up by Russian company Joint Stock Company Global Security. It is monitored and managed by the contractor together with the ministries of Security, Works and Transport as well as that of Internal Affairs through the police.
In 2023, government entered into a 10-year contract with the Russian company to install the digital monitoring systems in vehicles across the country using the Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS). The deal, which had been scheduled to start on October 31, 2023, also involved the rolling out of new digital number plates able to track every car countrywide.
Security minister Jim Muhwezi, the architect of the deal, assured the public that the number plate system would be designed to monitor all motor vehicles, motorcycles and other vessels within Uganda through an electronically-activated device. The business model, projected to generate $900m [Shs 3.2 trillion] in 10 years, is structured in a way that the contractor invests $257m [Shs 926 billion] into the technology so that by the expiration of the 10 years, they would have recouped $390m [Shs 1.4 trillion].
However, logistical and financial delays, mostly blamed on the contractor, meant that the project could not start on time. So, rolling out of the new number plates only kicked off on January 6, 2025. There were further delays to set up the ITMS, which officially started operations only a few weeks ago.
All this means that the contract is already two years behind schedule and according to insiders, in a bid to catch up with the financial projections, it was agreed by top-level technocrats from the different ministries to come up with prohibitively high EPS penalties for traffic violations.
Some of the offences include speed violation, overstepping stop line/markings, making a turn not under the sign and jumping the red light.
MAYHEM
Last week, issuance of EPS tickets was rolled into action, sparking outrage amongst Ugandans on social media, especially about what they termed as exorbitant penalties. Issues have also been raised about the absence of signages to warn motorists about speed limits, with many taking to social media to criticize the EPS.
Meanwhile, Joel Ssenyonyi, the leader of opposition in parliament, yesterday wrote to Gen Katumba Wamala, the minister of Works and Transport to express ‘public concerns over the EPS.’
“While the intention behind the EPS may have been rooted in promoting road safety and order, its current execution has raised widespread alarm among motorists and other road users. I have personally received numerous complaints pointing to the system’s relentless and, in many cases, excessive issuance of traffic fines without clear and accessible justification. In particular, drivers have described the EPS as punitive and exploitative, rather than corrective or educational,” says part of his statement.
Among the issues Ssenyonyi raises is lack of public awareness and training, confusing and inconsistent speed limits, security risks (especially on the Northern bypass] due to enforced low speeds and the excessive penalties and restrictions. He also cites technical and procedural shortcomings as well as the traffic-lights- versus-traffic-police conundrum.
For one, former police spokesperson Asan Kasingye, vented his frustrations on X.
“I will disobey any traffic officer who signals me to drive or stop at traffic lights junctions unless the traffic lights aren’t working. If I am told to drive on when red, I will disobey. If I am told to stop when green, I will disobey,” he noted.
When The Observer reached out to a top-level official in the Works ministry, he noted that whereas the goal [of the high EPS penalties] is to send a punitive message to bad road users, they [ministry] are already behind schedule to meet the terms of the contract with the Russian firm.
“It was agreed in order to catch up with the projected revenues of the deal, there was need to raise the EPS fines high. Remember, we have to disburse a payment to the contractor every three months,” said the source.
“What many people in the public forget is that is as much as the EPS system aims to foster road safety, it is also a business model for government and in business, there are targets and deadlines to beat.”
He refused to divulge details about the quarterly payments. However, a senior traffic police official admitted that continued public uproar about EPS may prompt the ministry to revise the penalties.
“We are still monitoring the situation for assessment and we will inform the public in due course.” Meanwhile, a senior official from the Internal Affairs ministry who preferred anonymity, questions the EPS penalties as shady.
“I was surprised that whereas I participated in the set-up of the ITMS and EPS system, I and many of my colleagues were never consulted on the issue of EPS penalties. The public has also not be readied for the system,” said the source.
“There are also quite many alterations and deviations by the contractor that need to be revised. Only a naïve person can believe that those guys [Joint Stock Company Global Security] invested that money [$275m] for the system.”
Some of those deviations, according to sources, is the absence of the electronically- activated device system on new number plates to track all vehicles in the country. Efforts to reach out to Muhwezi were futile as calls to his known numbers went unanswered.
CONTEXT
It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve going forward but it is baffling that government could project a Shs 3.2 trillion in traffic fines and set about to achieve it at all costs.
This brings into question whether the real motive is road safety or revenue generation. To break down the project revenue, it means government targets to collect Shs 8.7bn daily, Shs 61bn weekly, Shs 266bn per month and Shs 800 billion quarterly.
Given that the Russian firm gets 43 per cent of the revenue, it means government is in a race against time to raise at least Shs 344 billion within the next three months.
The real violators of these speed limits, traffic light signals and the rest are the boda riders and taxi drivers. How on earth, do we think a boda rider will pay a fine of 600k for going over the speed limit? How do we expect a taxi driver to generate that money? Is it possible that the EPS targets private cars and not the boda riders?
The truth is that we are targeting private cars where we know they will pay the money. Government already knows that the mess in the public travel is too much for many to bear, so they will do anything possible to cling on their cars. Now taxis such as the Entebbe Express are parked.
It is high time that we parked our private cars and resort to boda riders and taxi. Ugandans can decide to keep their cars and we see how government will generate those penalties to meet their obligations. From the onset, this whole thing was “smelly”, and we are starting to feel the rot.
I propose we start walk to work
I do not understand how a person with brains can really pass or support such a Bill. We no longer have people with grey matters any more. They have been brain drained and all we have are simply empty containers. No wonder this killer regime is still in power. I am sure Jim and his cohorts are laughing all the way to the bank
Forgive me for bringing this up, but was it not Jim Muhwezi, who was cited in the diversion of huge amounts of money, meant to buy drugs for the poor and sick, when Minister of Health? Does anyone believe he could be trusted to do right thing, in a different docket many years later? Does anyone believe this regime can do anything properly?
So then how much will the commuters of this country pay out in rail and bus transport tickets when the foreign investors are hired to fast track modern transport travel in this country? Rail and bus travel seem to have failed to take over despite much effort on the part of this long serving government to invest lots of tax payers money in modern public transport! Putting electronic number plates is only an administrative proposition that does not in any way alliviate the condition of the very poor public transport systems in this poor African country, that kills about 100 traveling public members every week!
The new, so called, digital number plate is a farce. The plate does not have any electronically activated device that aids realtime tracking. The new number plates, just like the old ones, use the few available cameras to capture incidents. The Russian company has just dubed its gullible client!
I’m just wondering; what’s the logic of reducing speed limits to such ridiculous levels?
Is it that drivers have been causing accidents while driving within the former speed limits of by over speeding (going above the limits of – 100kph and 50kph on highways and restricted areas respectively)?
If you have failed to enforce these reasonable speed limits, how do you do that for even lower ones? Unless, of course, this is not at all about road safety!
Hi Ugandans
You amuse, they put a law to protect you and you need to drive in speed.
I live in Ontario Canada same rules in place no accidents just discipline.
Same in New York Los Angeles London Berlin.
Mwe mwagalaki.
A distance of 4 km in Uganda is covered in 4 minutes. Here it’s covered in 17 minutes. Because of EPS.
So better have safe roads and plan early your Journey.
The fines are too high, Mr Ontario Canada. No one disputes that we need safe roads. Even just Ugx 50,000 as an express penalty would forcibly encourage the most careless drivers to behave.
You’re forgetting that the places you’re talking about have proper infrastructure, road furniture in place. Imagine being penalised for driving about a 30km/h in a location that has no road signs or 50km/h. Besides the road users ought to be sensitised about the new regulations and road safety at large not just rushing to implement something to recover some company alleged huge investment in the system
But also don’t forget the main agenda by the Globalists to make driving unpalatable a precursor for climate change lockdowns…
Problem is not the law. It’s the prohitive fees. How do you expect a body body rider working hand to mouth to raise 600,000 shillings to pay for the fine??
What right do you have to remove my comment? Oh it did not please you because you cannot stomach the truth
Zowe you have a point indeed. It seems Mr Sam Kuteesa cannot miss such a money making contract. His enjawulo is already in his pocket for a better retirement nest for himself and his family. This is a business model, projected to generate $900m [Shs 3.2 trillion] in 10 years, and it is structured in a way that the contractor invests $257m [Shs 926 billion] into the technology so that by the expiration of the 10 years, these worn torn Russians fighting tooth and nail with Ukraine would have recouped $390m [Shs 1.4 trillion] from the national treasury of this poor African country! No wonder the Uganda military wish Russians success in their aggressive war with Ukraine!
In developed countries
Community where you school children hospitals homes it’s 30km
Trading centres along main roads it’s 50 Km per hour.
On highway 90 km per hour.
Express roads like Entebbe express 100 km per hour.
Fines here they are not cheap either and arrest style is Akandoya the obote style tying hands behind man.
There okay you comply.
You sound like you are the first and last to be in the developed world. Whatever you are submitting we already know.
However, the dynamics are different. The authenticity of the provider is questionable, the said capital outlay is questionable, the fines are questionable, the beneficiaries are questionable, the implementation is questionable. So is the situation for Uganda, different from your developed world.