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President Museveni has accused a corrupt group of individuals of inflating fines under the Express Penalty System (EPS) and vowed to expose those responsible.
The EPS, routed last month by the Ministry of Works and Transport, was designed to enforce traffic laws by issuing electronic fines for violations such as speeding and running red lights.
Offenders were required to pay within 72 hours or face a 50 percent surcharge, along with penalties like being barred from renewing driving licenses or traveling abroad.
However, the system faced swift backlash from the public over what many called unfair and inconsistent fines.
Amid the growing outcry, the government suspended the EPS to allow for a thorough review.
Speaking over the weekend, President Museveni alleged that corrupt individuals manipulated the Russian developers behind the system to impose inflated penalties.
“They are linked to criminal gangs. They confused our Russians who were working on it. The Express penalties were too high, and they did it last minute,” Museveni said.
He added that he would reveal the identities of those behind the scheme at a later time.
“It was not done before, and I will tell you later who did it. Not today, but at one time, I will tell you,” he stated.
The EPS also drew further controversy when it was disclosed that 80% of all revenue from traffic fines would go to a Russian private company, with the government receiving only 15%.
Reports revealed that GS, the Russian firm contracted for the EPS, stood to earn over $408 million from the projected $510 million in fines. In contrast, the government would get just $76.5 million, while the remaining 5%, about $25.5 million, would go to the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), a state-owned entity.
The Ministry of Works and Transport suspended the EPS last month, citing the need for an internal review of the system’s operations and its effect on motorists.
“We urge all road users to continue driving responsibly and observing traffic rules,” the ministry said in a statement at the time.
Earlier this month, the ministry confirmed that the review was still underway and that enforcement remained on hold as efforts continue to address public concerns and strengthen traffic law enforcement.
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