Works minister sued over multi billion motor vehicle inspection deal

The Jaguar bus being towed away from the accident scene on Masaka Road. The works minister says the new vehicle inspection arrangement according to the Works ministry wants to stop unworthy vehicles from roads.

KAMPALA-Works minister Monica Azuba Ntege has been sued over the ongoing compulsory vehicle inspection.

The minister was sued by four concerned citizens before the High Court in Kampala on Friday

In their complaint, the petitioners led by Mr Aaron Izimba state that it’s illegal for the Works minister to connive with a Swiss -based company Societe General De Surveillance (SGS) Company and dupe Ugandans by sanctioning what they call an illegal compulsory motor -vehicle inspection.

The minister is jointly sued with the Permanent Secretary, Mr Waiswa Bageya

Government through the works ministry last year signed a contract with SGS aimed at curbing the increasing road carnage and also minimise on environmental pollution by vehicles in dangerous mechanical condition.

The same vehicle inspection deal was recently implemented starting with the central region before it spreads out to up country regions.

In their law suit, the concerned citizens contend that the government already has a motor vehicle inspection project run by the Uganda Police Inspector of Vehicles at Naguru, Jinja, Mbarara and Mbale under the Traffic and Road Safety Act and therefore the deal with SGS is a deliberate move to rob Ugandans of over Shs200 billion paid for several inspection services to enrich an individual company.

The petitioners have also in the same regard sued Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)  on grounds that it neglected its mandatory duty to collect taxes on behalf of the public and instead delegated its mandate of collecting such  fees to a private company.

The petitioners want the High Court to issue orders to permanently block this forceful motor vehicle inspection and immediately cancel the contract that was signed between the Works ministry on behalf of government and SGS Company in September.

The other prayer to court by the petitioners is to declare that the ongoing motor vehicle inspection project as illegal.

As a way forward, the petitioners want the Works ministry to take serious measures to mitigate major causes of road accidents such as drunkenness, untrained drivers and marking of black spots instead of concentrating on compulsory motor vehicle inspection.