The Ugandan government has announced the immediate suspension of the contentious Electronic Penalty System (EPS Auto), following weeks of growing public backlash, legal threats, and political scrutiny.
In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Works and Transport said the system will be temporarily halted effective midnight, pending a comprehensive review of its implementation.
“Effective midnight tonight, the implementation of the automated Express Penalty System [EPS Auto] will be temporarily suspended following a comprehensive review,” the statement read. “We urge all road users to continue driving responsibly and observing traffic rules.”
The EPS Auto system, introduced to enforce traffic regulations through automated fines, has sparked widespread criticism from motorists and civil society groups. Many accused authorities of imposing harsh and confusing penalties, often without adequate signage or public awareness.
Fines ranged from Shs 200,000 to Shs 3,000,000, with minor infractions such as exceeding unrealistic speed limits—often set at 30 km/h in congested urban areas—being heavily penalized.
Adding legal pressure, prominent human rights lawyer Male Mabirizi this week declared the system unlawful, arguing that it was never gazetted and that any fines issued under it were therefore null and void.
A 2022 parliamentary report had also raised red flags about the system’s financial framework, which projected revenues of nearly Shs 3.8 trillion (USD 996 million) over a decade.
Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, is expected to issue a detailed address tomorrow outlining the government’s next steps—whether to reform the system or scrap it entirely.
The temporary suspension is seen as a response to intensifying public anger and is likely to be welcomed by the thousands of motorists affected.
