Ministers Kahinda Otafiire (Internal Affairs) and Jim Muhwezi (Security) are giving Ugandans a front row seat to their not so-friendly disagreement over a car tracking deal that’s as juicy as a ripe mango.
The two bigwigs of the government, standing before a parliament committee like contestants in a political boxing match clashed in a showdown that’s hotter than a Ugandan afternoon. Otafiire, not one to mince words, was quick to point out that he and his squad at the Internal Affairs Ministry had absolutely zero idea about this Russian company getting the golden ticket to handle digital number plates.
With a glint in his eye and a hint of mischief in his tone, he flung the spotlight right back at his old pal Muhwezi, the mastermind behind the deal.
This drama all started back in 2021, just as a fresh cabinet was settling into their cushy seats. In a letter that could rival a movie script, President Museveni gave Muhwezi the ultimate task: get this Russian company on board, Godspeed! No dilly-dallying with other options, because these guys apparently had the magic proposal that caught Museveni’s eye.
And what were the big boss’s two main concerns, you ask? First, he wanted to know if these Russian whizzes actually knew their tech stuff. Like, can their technology track down a runaway chicken, let alone a criminal? Well, fear not, because according to Museveni’s pen-to-paper wisdom, a certain Engineer Lumu gave the technology a thumbs-up. They say anyone trying to mess with these high-tech gizmos would be caught faster than an opposition politician strolling around City Square.
Museveni’s second worry was the good ol’ moolah. Who’s paying for this techno-party, you might wonder? Apparently, that was a concern back in the day. But don’t fret, dear Ugandans, because Museveni’s letter makes it clear that this should’ve been put in motion four years ago. Imagine that! We could’ve been living in a world where criminals were easier to catch than a cold.