MPs were Wednesday forced to throw out Minister of Security, Jim Muhwezi after he failed to explain what he based on to award a Russian Firm a contract to install spy chips in motor vehicles and motorbikes as part of the measures to curb insecurity in Uganda.
Muhwezi had appeared before Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee to respond to concerns raised by Sarah Opendi (Tororo District Woman MP) to explain the implementation of the intelligent transport monitoring system by Joint Stock Company Global Security.
Godfrey Wakooli, the Butiru County MP, tasked Muhwezi to furnish the Committee with copies of the feasibility study and registration number of the company and contract signed with the Russian Firm.
“You should tell us the registration number of this company in Russia because I did a search about this company on the internet yesterday but I could not arrive to a clear position about it,” he said.
However, Minister Mihwezi asked the Committee to give him 30 minutes to send one of the Ministry officials to go back to office and table the contract noting, “I can respond to you in writing and they can be given to you in writing by tomorrow.”
This prompted Rosemary Nyakikongoro (Sheema District Woman MP), who also doubles as Chairperson of Defence Committee to suspend the proceedings of the committee until the contract and other requisite documents are tabled.
“We cannot sit down and discuss things that we don’t know so that you go back to Parliament and report on hearsay. We don’t want to report on hearsay. That is why we have told him that if you cannot get them in 30 minutes let him go back and prepare all the documents concerning the company,” she explained.
However, after the 30 minutes elapsed, the said staff hadn’t arrived forcing Muhwezi to feign regret in the Committee, saying the time given by the Committee wasn’t enough for his team to gather all the documents and instead asked for an adjournment.
His request angered MPs who lashed out at Muhwezi for wasting their time and demanded to ensure he returns with the Ministry of Works and Transport to explain rationale for the car tracking system.
In the statement he had tabled before the Committee, Muhwezi had defended the extra cost motorists will incur to acquire the tracking system, saying the extra charge is conventional and legal requirement and after all, they are already paying taxes on importation, purchase of number plates, insurance cover.
“However, the current number plates are highly susceptible to being forged, tampered with and can be replaced or switched easily. A stolen vehicle easily ends up with a replaced or forged number plate making it very difficult for the authorities to track down,” noted Muhwezi.
He said that the new proposed number plates will be embedded with security features that will make them easily identifiable and difficult to replace and any scrupulous attempts to replace them will lead to their self-destruction.
The Minister also dismissed concern of invasion of privacy arguing that Police will only use the data collected when one is suspected by Police for committing a crime.
Muhwezi also defended the decision to have motorists bore the cost of the tracking system, saying the national resource envelop is highly restrictive and government will not be in position to meet cost of installing trackers in all vehicles across the country.
