Public Outcry Forces Suspension of Express Penalty System Despite Minister Katumba Wamala’s Direct Intervention
In a rare move, Gen. Katumba appeared in a widely circulated video advertisement (watch here) where he sought to clarify the EPS’s objectives: streamlining road discipline by issuing on-the-spot penalties for traffic offences ranging from speeding, reckless driving, to failure to comply with traffic signals.
Uganda Today: Public Outcry Forces Suspension of Express Penalty System Despite Minister Katumba Wamala’s Direct Intervention
By Uganda Today Investigative Desk
The Ministry of Works and Transport’s much-publicized Express Penalty System (EPS) has been brought to a screeching halt following a wave of public uproar and institutional resistance, despite a high-profile media push by none other than Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport.
In a rare move, Gen. Katumba appeared in a widely circulated video advertisement (watch here) where he sought to clarify the EPS’s objectives: streamlining road discipline by issuing on-the-spot penalties for traffic offences ranging from speeding, reckless driving, to failure to comply with traffic signals.
But instead of calming anxieties, the Minister’s outreach ignited even greater controversy, with motorists accusing the Ministry of deploying the system with “militaristic precision and colonial-era astronomical penalty charges with the least penalty of UGX 600,000 or $158.”
The EPS: Order or Overreach?
The Express Penalty System was pitched as a digitized enforcement model intended to:
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Penalize traffic violators instantly using a mobile-linked system.
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Reduce road carnage and unsafe driving habits.
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Improve compliance with national traffic regulations.
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Digitally track and manage repeat offenders via a centralized database.
Under this framework, traffic officers were empowered to issue EPS tickets directly from their devices, often accompanied by demands for immediate mobile money payments.
Yet, in practice, the system morphed into a Kafkaesque ordeal. Motorists reported being fined without due explanation, sometimes without committing any visible offence. Others complained of lack of clarity on how to contest the fines or appeal errors in the system.
“I received an EPS ticket for a speeding offence in a town I hadn’t visited that day. When I tried to dispute it, I was told to just pay and sort it later. That’s extortion, not enforcement,” said Martha Akello, a Kampala-based driver.
Ministerial Video: Clarity or Contradiction?
In the promotional video, Gen. Katumba Wamala earnestly explains how the EPS will modernize road safety and reduce human interface that often breeds corruption. He details the process motorists should follow when issued with a penalty, including how to pay, how to verify offences, and how to contest errors.
But the problem wasn’t just technical—it was systemic. Public institutions, including Uganda Police and the Judiciary, were reportedly caught off guard by the speed and style of EPS rollout.
“What we saw was a unilateral launch with little public consultation or legal clarity. It became less about safety and more about revenue collection,” noted traffic law researcher Andrew Ssebunya.
Why the Uproar?
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Lack of Sensitization – Most Ugandans were unaware of the EPS procedures, appeal mechanisms, or the legal framework backing its enforcement.
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Questionable Enforcement Tactics – Some officers reportedly abused the system, fining motorists arbitrarily or without documented proof.
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Absence of Real-Time Verification – The digital system often lagged or failed to reflect payments, resulting in multiple penalties for the same infraction.
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Opaque Appeals Process – No clear recourse existed for wrongly accused motorists. In most cases, disputing a ticket meant risking vehicle impoundment.
Institutional Fallout and Policy Pushback
The backlash triggered institutional reactions, forcing the Ministry to suspend further EPS operations for review. Civic groups, legal activists, and transport unions all threatened legal action if the system was not overhauled or scrapped entirely.
Insiders at Uganda Police Traffic Directorate also whispered discontent, alleging that they were handed “new enforcement tech without corresponding legal training or logistical support.”
The Larger Problem: A Disconnect Between Policy and People
This saga fits a larger pattern in Uganda’s governance—where top-down digital reforms are deployed with fanfare but fail at the grassroots. While the EPS was technologically sound in theory, its lack of legal transparency, public education, and institutional coordination turned it into a public relations disaster.
“Technology doesn’t fix trust gaps. You cannot enforce order with a broken social contract,” argues Dr. Sylvia Mugisha, a transport policy analyst.
The halted EPS operations underscore the risks of deploying public enforcement technologies without public trust, legal backing, or institutional readiness. Gen. Katumba Wamala may have tried to explain the system with sincerity, but Uganda’s motorists demanded more than a video—they demanded accountability.
Until that is guaranteed, the Express Penalty System remains another case of policy gone wrong in the express lane.
Published by www.ugandatoday.co.ug, your trusted source for news and analysis
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