By Mulengera Reporters
The operationalization of the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) project in Uganda was discussed and explained to hundreds of delegates this week. This was at Speke Resort Munyonyo where government officials, CSOs and private sector leaders converged for the Road Safety Conference 2025.
The conference, coming at a time of rampant road crashes and fatalities including the one which claimed businessman Rajiv Ruparelia recently, was organized by the Ministry of Works & Transport in close collaboration with Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU) under which a number CSOs come together to advocate the cause for more efficient road safety interventions.
Addressed by the President whose speech was read for him by Vice President Jessica Alupo, the two-day conference was held under the theme “Road Safety for Socio-Economic Transformation.” It was organized to coincide with the UN Road Safety Week which happens annually in the month of May.
Discussions and plenary sessions were held on a number of road safety-related topics including Better Roads Safety Management, Safer Roads & Mobility; Road Safety Challenges & Opportunities/National Road Safety Action Plan; Safer Vehicles, Safer Roads Users & Speed; Post-Crash Response; Financing & Sustainability of Road Safety Programs; Analysis for financing on road safety in Uganda; presentations by donor agencies & private sector representatives; long term financing strategies for road safety in Uganda and policy & governance in road safety.
And finally there was also a session dedicated to “Road Safety Data & Interactive Demonstrations of Eelectric Vehicles, New Road Safety Tools & Technologies.” This specific panel discussion had the Workers MP Hon Abdul Byakatonda, AIGP Lawrence Nuwabine who heads traffic overall in the Uganda Police Force and Mr. Owen Muhumuza who is the Manager Training at the ITMS Project.
The session was an opportunity for participants to learn more about what ITMS (whose 10-year piloting phase will soon be launched) is all about and the contribution the automation and technology they are bringing on board is going to make towards improved road safety interventions in Uganda, going forward. Muhumuza was part of a powerful ITMS Project delegation to the conference, which was headed by Commercial & Government Relations Manager Azat Akmyradov.
In a panel discussion that was moderated by senior journalist Richard Baguma, Muhumuza told the participants about the two products or services that the GoU will be outputting through the ITMS Project which, among other things, will also be closely working with Police to operationalize the newly introduced or newly-enacted Express Penalty System Auto (EPSauto). The Ministry of Works & Transport plus that of Security are heavily involved in the ITMS project which actually belongs to both of them, though in the long term it will be transferred to the Uganda Police Force to own and permanently operate.
This EPS system will leverage AI-linked cameras to detect violators of traffic rules and regulations and ensure that the relevant penalty fines are electronically issued to them and in real time or instantly. Riding on such e-fines, the same EPS system will also be relied upon by the GoU to effect instant collection of the imposed penalties (which is NTR) against such offenders of the traffic rules.
Mr. Muhumuza explained that several AI-powered cameras have already been installed on the roads and more is being added to ensure that everywhere is covered. These cameras will help in detecting and identifying all manner of motorists who violate traffic rules and promptly issue them with penalty tickets. The idea is to tame reckless driving and over speeding which have lately combined to make our roads less safe.
The two major services or products the ITMS project will be delivering, according to Mr. Owen Muhumuza, include the digital registration number plates for vehicles and this is already happening. Muhumuza reminded the audience that all newly-arriving vehicles have to be installed with the digital number plates. The old vehicles already on the roads too are already being piloted with the new digital number plates.
He further explained that the digital number plates will amplify the fight against crime, for example in case a vehicle has been stolen, because they are fitted with GPS tracking systems and software chips which ensure effective monitoring of the vehicle, wherever it goes, and in real time. The same technology will be used to track offenders who violate traffic rules. “All these ultimately will enable us to run our country’s transport system better while ensuring road safety for all travelers,” Muhumuza elaborated.
The other output is the operationalization of the AI-powered cameras that continue to be installed on all major roads. The system will be sophisticated and will integrate all the information relating to the vehicle number plates, registered owner’s names, phone numbers and other details. Even in absence of traffic officers, he who commits a traffic offence will be identified and notified about the relevant fines and penalties that are payable.
Works & Transport Minister Gen Katumba Wamala, speaking at an earlier session, had revealed that the money will electronically be deducted from the offending motorists’ mobile money registered phone number even without having to first secure or obtain his or her consent. Muhumuza explained that the ITMS Project was here to demonstrate how technology and automation can be used to accelerate, amplify and support Ugandans’ collective efforts to enhance road safety for all.
Referencing on Police’s latest accident statistics, Muhumuza said it’s unacceptable for the country to continue losing so many people to road fatalities resulting from lack of adequate levels of road safety. He asserted that it was unacceptable for the country to annually register 25,170 road accidents; 5,144 of which result into fatalities or deaths annually. 44.5% of those deaths resulted from reckless driving and over speeding-related causes.
He demonstrated how the AI-enabled automation processes and technology would make it risky and hard for anyone to commit traffic breaches relating to reckless driving or even over speeding and doesn’t get caught. The ITMS Project Manager Muhumuza expressed optimism the situation will rapidly change and our roads will become safer for everyone within a very short time once the programme gets fully rolled out and goes into full implementation. This is expected in a few weeks after the upcoming formal launching of the ESP auto system in Kampala.
Muhumuza implored people in the audience to become more cautious so as not to be caught up on the wrong side of the law because the new penalties are swift and stringent implying that the offending motorists will have to part with much more money than has always been the case. He clarified the idea wasn’t about making life hard for anyone but to achieve quick results and immediate impact to reduce on carnage on our roads where many of the accidents involving motorists and pedestrians are easily avoidable.
Other speakers at the conference included Vice President Jessica Alupo, Minister Katumba Wamala, Works Ministry PS Waisswa Bageya, MP Robert Kasolo who chairs the parliamentary committee on road safety, Transport Ministry Commissioner Winstone Katushabe and Hon Dan Kimosho who chairs the Physical Infrastructure Committee of Parliament. Charles Odongtho was the director of ceremonies for the event where CSOs leaders and representatives and those from government freely exchanged views and ideas. Speaker Anita Among presided over the closing ceremony of the conference albeit through a representative.
In his written message, delivered through Alupo, President Museveni thanked Katumba Wamala and Bageya for working so well with the CSOs and promised to become more deliberate while directing and mobilizing people in his government to work towards ensuring that road safety programmes are funded more adequately. He vowed to make this a top priority and urgently.
He said there is no way his NRM government, which has enlarged and modernized the country’s road infrastructure and network, besides getting rid of all the former killer diseases through immunization, can just look on and fail to tame road carnage, a fight to which he called for everybody’s contribution.
The President enumerated the huge road projects which his government has established in the last nearly 40 years and vowed to do all he can to ensure that the men and women of Uganda don’t continue dying senselessly on the nice well-paved roads which the NRM has delivered.
Reflecting on the circumstances of Rajiv’s death, Katumba Wamala assured the audience that all the road works in Kampala will soon be completed so that all the barriers, similar to what Sudhir’s son fell into, get removed and the lighting road signage systems get improved. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
