Kampala, Uganda: The Ministry of Works and Transport has given the contractor implementing Uganda’s Digital Number Plate Programme until the end of August to eliminate the backlog in the production and issuance of digital number plates following mounting public complaints over prolonged delays.
The commitment was announced after Minister Fred Byamukama inspected the contractor’s production facility to assess progress and agree on timelines for restoring normal registration services.
The inspection follows weeks of frustration among motorists, vehicle importers, car dealers, and motorcycle owners who have faced lengthy delays in obtaining digital number plates for newly imported vehicles, motorcycles, replacement plates, and change-of-ownership applications.
Speaking after the inspection, Byamukama said the visit was intended to establish the contractor’s production capacity and ensure practical measures were put in place to address the growing backlog.
“We have come to see the production process ourselves and to agree firm timelines with the contractor,” Hon Byamukama said.
According to the Minister, the contractor has committed to resolving current production bottlenecks affecting new motor vehicle and motorcycle registrations within the next three weeks.
The ministry expects all pending new registration applications to be cleared by the end of July, while every outstanding backlog, including delayed applications, is expected to be fully addressed by August 30, 2026.
To avoid future shortages, the contractor has also pledged to increase production capacity by maintaining a monthly surplus of approximately 3,000 number plates.
Officials say this will create a reserve stock of at least 11,000 digital number plates by the end of August, enabling faster processing of future applications.
The Ministry also warned motorists against using brokers or middlemen who have taken advantage of the delays by charging illegal fees to expedite number plate processing.
The government pledged to intensify enforcement against such individuals while encouraging the public to use only official registration channels.
Meanwhile, motorists requiring replacement number plates after theft, accidents or loss will continue receiving priority despite the limited stock currently available.
The Ministry further revealed that a separate roadmap for pending change-of-number-plate applications will be communicated in the coming days.
Background
Uganda rolled out the Digital Number Plate Programme as part of a broader Intelligent Transport Monitoring System aimed at strengthening national security, improving vehicle identification, combating motor vehicle theft and enhancing law enforcement through real-time vehicle tracking.
The programme is implemented under the Ministry of Works and Transport in partnership with Joint Stock Company Global Security, the Russian firm contracted to manufacture and install the digital registration plates.
However, the rollout has faced persistent operational challenges, including production constraints and administrative delays that have affected vehicle registration across the country.
The delays have attracted criticism from motorists, transport operators, vehicle dealers and importers, many of whom argued that businesses were being disrupted by the inability to register newly acquired vehicles.
Last week, the Ministry dismissed reports circulating on social media that the Digital Number Plate Programme had been suspended, insisting the project remains operational despite the production backlog.
Officials say the Ministry will hold another meeting with the contractor later this week to assess progress and ensure the agreed recovery timelines are achieved.
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