Vehicle registration plates of Uganda

Uganda faced security challenges such as the several high-profile murders like that of Major Mohammed Kiggundu in November 2016, the Uganda Police spokesperson AIGP Felix Kaweesi in March 2017, Arua Municipality legislator Hon. Ibrahim Abiriga in June 2018, and that of former Buyende district Police Commander Muhamad Kirumira in September 2018 and the failed assassination of former army commander Gen. Katumba Wamala that claimed the life of his daughter in June 2021.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} All these murders seemed to have one common characteristic which was assailants following victims in their cars, shooting them and the move away with help of boda boda (motor bikes). This led to the birth of ideas of such as installing surveillance cameras in major towns and highways and also the use of digital number plates on all motor vehicles to ease tracking of criminals that had made it a habit to use vehicles to flee scenes of crime and ultimately combat crime.The ideas were majorly fronted by the President of Uganda Rtd. Gen. Yoweri Museveni who even re-echoed the same in his 2021 state of the nation address.^[12][13][14]

Government of Uganda in 2021 signed an agreement with a Russian firm Joint Stock Global Security Company to deliver the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) to be used in the tracking of motor vehicles in Uganda^[15][16] However the process that led to contracting the company was contested and even probed by the parliamentary committee on physical infrastructure and later to a classified Committee of the House^[17][18] However the probe and findings did not hinder government from continuing with the plan and the digital number plates drive was successfully launched in November 2023 by Security Minister Rtd Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and his Works and Transport counterpart Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala starting with the installations of the technology enhanced plates on government owned vehicles.^[19][20]

Below is a description of the new codes on the digital registration plates for government ministries, departments and agencies vehicles according to the traffic and road safety (Registration plates) (amendment) (No.3) Regulations, 2024;