Over 10 Boda Boda stages across the city have gone hay wire today morning, after an audio that has been making rounds on WhatsApp incited what has been termed as a looming boda Boda rider’s strike.
Boda boda (motorcycle riders) from stages such as Nansana Ku Masitowa, Bwaise, Kitintale, among many others appeared in several videos posted on social media platform Tiktok and other online platforms, vowing to strike if the Digital Number Plates are not abolished.
According to Gilbert Kiweewa, a boda boda rider from Nansana, the government claims that the new number plates are for security, and yet when he was knocked down by a government car with the same number plates, it became hard to trace the number plate, let alone report to anyone as they were much harder to trace with the numerous numbers.
Simon Kasibante, a boda boda rider in Bwaise said that the government lacks the infrastructure to handle such a project, and yet still they want to make the poor people of the country suffer.
“They want to turn every boda boda man into a thief. Boda bodas can be the instruments of both right and wrong. A big percentage of us don’t see the reason to do wrong, or participate and abet in illegality. But if you take away our will to leave, we are left with no option. We have the biggest spy network in the country, which also means we know where every big wig in the country stays. We are not saying we will do anything violent, but in all honesty, we will find out who is behind the Digital Number Plates that are going to torment us and match to their homes in protest,” explained Kasibante.
The Boda Boda men called on Parliament and the President to listen to them and not accept the launch of the Digital number plates that is said to happen in November.
Non Existent Digital Plates Company
One of the protesters, who preferred anonymity revealed that the root of the impending protest is that the boda boda riders and their leaders are very much aware that the company that has been announced as the supplier of the Digital Numbers plate is non-existent.
“The boda boda business is the lowest of lows, and yet it will receive the biggest blow. Where one has been paying 5.8M to receive a brand new boda (and more when loaned,) we will have to be paying 6.41M. It is a tax that we are aware, even the U.R.A is not comfortable with. It is a tax that has been levied on the poor person. It is common place now, that the Russian company fronted as the manufacturer of the Digital Numbers Plates was found non existed in Russia. It is on record, and unless things changed, that was a fact numerously reported about in August 2023. They leave us with no option but to strike. We shall announce a nation wide stand down, and if that doesn’t work, we shall drive to Parliament,” explained the protester.
In 2023, the Minister for Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen, (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, revealed that he was unaware of the company, Joint Stock Company Global Security that is supposed to undertake the issuance of digital number plates in Uganda.
He revealed this to the Committee on Physical Infrastructure on Tuesday, 22 August 2023.
Hon. Jonathan Ebwalu (Indp., Soroti West Division) asked the minister about his knowledge of the contract with the company to supply the digital number plates.
Otafiire also told the committee that he authorized a team to carry out due diligence on the Joint Stock Company Global Security and its station in Russia.
“The team brought back a report and informed me that there was no digital number plate manufacturing companies in Russia and that such a service is only being provided in Poland,” said the minister.
The Gist
It should be noted, that in 2023, The Minister of Internal Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire and the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), John Musinguzi expressed reservations about the high price to be charged for the digital number plates, warning that the exorbitant costs will not only erode incomes of the motorists but also affect revenue collection.
The two officials made the remarks while appearing before Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee that was scrutinizing a motion that was tabled by Kampala Capital City Traders Association (KACITA) who petitioned Parliament, asking to have the digital number plate project halted over the high cost to be charged, until the cost is revised.
Regarding the pricing of the digital numberplates, Minister Kahinda denied knowledge on the criteria used to hike the price from UGX150,000 to UGX714,300 saying that although the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Police are key stakeholders in Uganda’s security, the two entities weren’t consulted on the pricing.
Hon. Gerald Rwemulikya (Ntoroko County) asked,
“Do you think moving from Shs150,000 to Shs714,300 for boda boda riders and even people with private number plates, is that something you support as a Ministry isn’t this too much? People are poor. We should put our feet on [the] ground this thing should be stopped for now, I am just seeing darkness.”
The Minister in response said, “I am unhappy about the cost, but unfortunately, I am not the one who determines the cost. I have heard about the cost in the press, nobody has brought it to my attention to address, so my role in that aspect is limited.”
URA’s Musinguzi described the proposed cost as prohibitive and revealed that according to the proposed cost, the tax body is projected to collect UGX12bn from the issuance of digital number plates monthly given the fact that Uganda gets 14,197 motorcycles and 3,806 motor vehicles per month.
The cost is prohibitive…I think it is important that the negotiators go for the most optimal because there is a benefit they want to achieve, but also a cost that would be draining money from taxpayers which could be spent on other areas, other than this technology. I think in my opinion charging UGX714,300 from boda boda, probably registration and clearance of boda bodas will significantly reduce, but I don’t have the numbers, said Musinguzi.
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