Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure has questioned why the US$257 million Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) project has never been audited by the Auditor General since its implementation began in 2021.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, summoned senior officials from the Office of the Auditor General on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, to explain the failure to audit the digital motor vehicle number plate project awarded to Russian company Joint Stock Global Security Ltd.
The officials, Anthony Kimuli, Director of Value for Money and Specialised Audit, and Martin Bamulumbye, Director of Central Government Audit, told MPs that the Auditor General had planned to audit the project during the 2025 audit year.
In a letter presented to the committee, Auditor General Edward Akol said his office had written to the Ministry of Works and Transport in June 2025 seeking information and a date to commence the audit.
He said the Ministry responded that the project was being implemented and supervised by a multi-sectoral team under the Office of the President and was security-related and still in its pilot phase.
The explanation angered MPs, who questioned why the Auditor General had not exercised his legal mandate to obtain the necessary documents and examine the project’s financial implications.
Committee Chairperson Mwine Mpaka questioned whether the Auditor General’s office had ever been denied access to the project documents.
The officials acknowledged that their office had not yet examined the project’s costs and financial details, saying they had only recently obtained the agreement and were seeking additional documentation to determine the appropriate type of audit.
MPs said the failure to audit the project had deprived Parliament of an independent assessment of its costs, implementation and value for money.
The officials said the audit had been prioritised for January 2027.
Dissatisfied with their explanations, the committee ordered the two officials to record statements with police and remain at Parliament until Auditor General Edward Akol appears to explain the delay.
The committee also summoned Ministry of Finance officials to appear on Thursday, 15 October 2026, as investigations into the ITMS project continue.
