Attorney General declares 2021 digital number plates contract null, illegal

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The Attorney General, Dr. Sam Mayanja, has told lawmakers that the government’s July 2021 deal with Russian firm M/S Joint Stock Company Global Security (JSCGS) to install digital number plates is legally null and unenforceable because it violates existing Ugandan laws.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure, chaired by Mbarara City South MP Mr Mwine Mpaka, the chief legal advisor to the government revealed that the agreement requires an immediate overhaul after failing to meet fundamental statutory conditions.

“Before I came here, I looked through this contract,” Dr. Mayanja told the committee. “I think this contract from the onset contradicts many provisions of our existing law. So, I don’t want at this point to go into a detailed reply to a contract which you know I know needs a lot of overhauling.”

Prompted by committee members for specifics, the Attorney General emphasized that JSCGS has consistently failed to fulfill the core obligations set out in the deal. Among the key defaults cited was the firm’s failure to train Ugandan personnel or transfer technological knowledge used in deploying the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS). Under the original framework, this technical knowledge was supposed to be transferred directly to the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial arm of the Ugandan military.This position was corroborated by the Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who informed the same parliamentary committee that NEC has been systematically excluded from the venture.

“NEC has never been effectively involved in the implementation or operation of the ITMS project,” Mr Kiwanuka stated. “The land provided by NEC was not utilized for the intended project, and NEC has not been integrated into the implementation and operation as contemplated under the Cooperation Agreement.”

Mr. Kiwanuka added that as a direct consequence of this exclusion, NEC has been unable to exercise its contractual rights or receive its designated five percent share of revenue generated from fines and penalties.”The failure by JSCGS to undertake the agreed obligations necessary to operationalise the partnership and involve NEC in the ITMS project raises significant concerns regarding non-performance and material breach of the cooperation agreement,” Mr. Kiwanuka noted.

Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka and other ministry officials appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure on October 6, 2026. PHOTO/PARLIAMENT ON X

Investigations by the parliamentary committee further revealed that no feasibility study was ever conducted to guide the final formulation of the contract currently being enforced. Questioned on the state’s official position regarding these defaults, Dr. Mayanja stated that the contract is legally void.”There are those things which go to the fundamentals of the contract itself which don’t exist here,” Dr. Mayanja said. “I think I would go ahead and say, as Attorney General, I see no contract here to comment on. There’s no contract which binds the State of Uganda because none of the conditions which go to the root of the matter have been fulfilled.”

In response to the assertions made by the ministers, JSCGS representative Mr. Damir Makhmutov presented a counter-submission to the committee, arguing that technology transfer is already underway.”Transfer of technology begins in 2031, but training has already started,” Mr. Makhmutov submitted to the committee. “Ugandan staff make kits and install and maintain equipment and camera complexes; police officers are trained in Gelios. By the end of the contract, Ugandan specialists are expected to be able to run and maintain the system on their own.”

Following the submissions, committee chairman Mr. Mwine Mpaka confirmed that lawmakers have arranged a meeting with President Museveni through the Office of the Speaker to address the standoff.The committee has also summoned key former and current government officials involved in the original procurement process for questioning, while representatives from JSCGS are expected to make a formal presentation to Parliament early next week before the final parliamentary report is compiled.

The contested agreement, signed on July 23, 2021, was designed to roll out mandatory digital number plates for all motor vehicles and motorcycles in Uganda to enhance crime detection, tracking, and vehicle identification. Under the terms, JSCGS was required to build, maintain, and upgrade the system before handing over an operational platform upon the contract’s expiry.

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