Works Ministry Launches Probe into Illegal Number Plates

The Ministry of Works and Transport has initiated investigations into allegations of illegal fees and delays in the issuance of digital number plates, following a surge in public complaints over the new registration system.

Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa, in a statement issued Friday, apologized to motorists who have experienced delays and irregular charges during the registration and plate issuance process. He assured the public that those involved in extorting clients or violating established procedures will face disciplinary and legal action.

“These concerns are not taken lightly, and investigations have commenced to bring the culprits to book,” Bageya said.

He emphasized that all fees associated with vehicle registration and digital number plates are fixed, regulated, and publicly known. According to the Ministry:

First-time registration for digital plates costs UGX 714,300 for both motor vehicles and motorcycles.

Post-registration exchange from old series to digital plates costs UGX 150,000 for motor vehicles and UGX 50,000 for motorcycles.

Replacement of lost or damaged digital plates costs UGX 75,000 for both motor vehicles and motorcycles.

Bageya warned that any request for additional or “facilitation” fees is illegal and should be rejected.

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“Any demand for additional fees is illegal, unauthorized, and is condemned in the strongest terms. Clients who pay illegal fees do so at their own risk,” he said. He urged members of the public to report such cases directly to the Permanent Secretary, the Chief Licensing Officer, the Uganda Police Force, or the Inspector General of Government.

The Ministry further advised vehicle owners to seek services directly from the Government Motor Vehicle Registration Office located at URA Headquarters in Nakawa and to avoid middlemen during the post-registration process.

To improve transparency and eliminate bottlenecks, Bageya revealed that a Dashboard Monitoring Tool has been introduced to help vehicle owners track the real-time status of their digital number plate applications and identify the entity handling their request.

“This is aimed at eliminating delays, closing loopholes, and giving every Ugandan a seamless experience,” he added.