Trapped by the Tech: Uganda’s smart traffic system
The EPS enforcement has also alarmed Uganda’s largest public transport stakeholders taxi drivers and owners.
What began as a government initiative to curb reckless driving and reduce road fatalities is quickly spiraling into one of the most controversial national rollouts in recent memory.
Uganda’s newly automated Electronic Penalty System (EPS) enforced using Artificial Intelligence-powered ANPR (Automated Number Plate Recognition) cameras — is now issuing fines in real-time to motorists across the country. But instead of applause for innovation, the system has triggered confusion, outrage, and fears of economic exploitation.
“I passed Abayita and ticket one. Via Northern Bypass ticket two. Returned through Abayita ticket three. All in one trip,” lamented Gilbert Asasira in a viral post on X (formerly Twitter). The fines? A crushing UGX 1.4 million, rising to UGX 2.1 million if not paid within 72 hours.
Digital Policing Meets Public Fury
Rolled out under the Ministry of Works and Transport and managed by the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), EPS aims to enforce speed limits and traffic regulations using smart technology. Cameras silently monitor road behavior, flagging violations like speeding and red-light breaches, with instant fines sent via text or email.
Speed limits are now precisely zoned:
l 30 km/h near schools, markets, hospitals, and high pedestrian areas
l 50 km/h in urban centers
l 80 km/h on standard highways
l 100 km/h on select expressways
Penalties range from UGX 200,000 to UGX 600,000 depending on the severity of the offense. But while the system promises order, the public says it delivers chaos.
A major issue is liability. Under EPS, tickets are automatically tied to the registered vehicle owner not necessarily the driver. This has sparked panic among vehicle loan companies, leasing firms, and transport operators, whose names appear on vehicle registrations until payments are completed.
“Most vehicles on the road today are bought on loan. The institutions are getting fined for drivers they don’t even know,” explained William Busuulwa, Chairperson of the Uganda National Transport Alliance.
With fines accumulating fast and a 50% surcharge slapped on any unpaid ticket after 72 hours, financial institutions now face tens of millions in unanticipated penalties — and angry clients to match.
The EPS enforcement has also alarmed Uganda’s largest public transport stakeholders taxi drivers and owners.
Many claim they are being fined in zones where speed signage is missing or inconsistent, and warn that the 30 km/h limit while logical in schools and hospitals is being applied indiscriminately, even along busy highways like Kampala–Gulu and Kampala–Entebbe.
“If almost every road is labeled a market or business zone, we are being asked to drive like we’re in a parking lot all day,” said Rashid Ssekindi, Chairperson of Uganda Transport Operators Federation.
“We’re ready to strike if this continues without proper signage and sensitization,” added Mustafa Mayambala, another industry leader.
The Russian Company Behind It All
Fueling the controversy further is the contractor behind EPS — Joint Stock Company Global Security, a Russian firm currently embroiled in bankruptcy litigation in Moscow.
According to court filings, the company owes 16.6 million rubles ($220,000 USD) and is being sued by LLC “Rus Prom-Technologies” to be declared bankrupt. Yet despite this, Global Security has inked a 10-year deal with Uganda, projected to generate over $510 million in fines — with the company pocketing 80% of that revenue.
Here’s the shocking breakdown:
l $408 million (80%) to Global Security
l $102 million (20%) to the Ugandan government
“This is highway robbery,” said Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, who recently wrote to the Minister of Works calling for an urgent review of the system. “The firm has no competence. The entire arrangement is fishy. And we had rejected it earlier in a minority report,” he added.
The Ministry of Works maintains that EPS is necessary. Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety, Winston Katushabe, said the system is aimed at saving lives. “Speeding is among the top five causes of road deaths. This is about discipline, not punishment,” he said.
Indeed, the Uganda Police 2024 Crime Report attributes 44.5% of road crashes to speeding, with over 5,100 deaths in just one year. Yet critics argue that while road safety is a noble cause, the EPS rollout lacks fairness, transparency, and a human touch.
A Nation Held Hostage by the Algorithm?
With thousands already fined and enforcement ramping up, EPS is transforming Uganda’s roads not just in terms of discipline, but in trust, economics, and politics. From bankruptcy-hit Russian contractors, to fines that rise before appeals are heard, to owners penalized for others’ driving, the system now sits at the volatile intersection of technology, governance, and justice.
Unless urgent reforms are made including signage improvements, public education, clear appeals mechanisms, and a relook at the revenue-sharing agreement — Uganda may find itself not in the age of smart transport, but one of automated exploitation.
