The Ugandan government has established a firm deadline of November 1, 2023, for the mandatory installation of Digital Number Plates on all vehicles in the country. This initiative, introduced by the President, is part of a broader effort to combat crime by enhancing vehicle tracking capabilities.

Initially scheduled to commence at the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year, the program faced delays due to coordination challenges among various government departments, including the Ministry of Interior, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

Concerns were also raised about the cost of the digital Number Plates, which stands at 751,000 Ugandan shillings for new vehicles and 150,000 Ugandan shillings for replacing old number plates. Furthermore, the capacity of Joint Global Security Company, the firm awarded the contract to import the digital number plates, was questioned by Members of Parliament on the Roads and Transport Committee.

State Minister of Transport Fred Byamukama emphasized that there will be no further extensions, and the implementation of the digital number plates will commence on November 1. Byamukama also emphasized that this initiative is designed to assist Ugandans by enabling the tracking of vehicles in the event of theft.