Africa-Press – Uganda. Government yesterday agreed to allow only four MPs to examine the contentious deal awarded to the Russian-based firm, Joint Global Security Company, to install spy chips in all vehicles and motorcycles in the country.
The defence was filed by Security minister Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi and his Works and Transport counterpart, Gen Katumba Wamala, while appearing before MPs on the defence and infrastructure committees.
A fortnight ago, MPs tasked the government to avail details and specific responses in regard to the particulars in the contract between government and the firm, company profile, copy of the advert for sourcing the company, but none of the above has ever been furnished.
In defence for refusal to share the specifics of the contract, Gen Muhwezi said it was a classified issue and, therefore, would not want to risk exposing the sensitive details that would otherwise compromise the project.
“So you will understand that there is a security element in that angle,” he said before requesting that a selected number of MPs be allowed to review the details of the contract.
“There can be a smaller group [with which] some information can be shared. Otherwise we would risk being naked and render the whole issue almost useless,” Gen Muhwezi said.
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Even when the lawmakers led by Defence committee chairperson Rosemary Nyakikongoro (Sheema Woman) demanded that responses be furnished to the queries raised, Gen Muhwezi revealed that the majority of the questions such as infringement on the privacy of the citizenry would have to be responded to by the Attorney General.
Considering that the Attorney General, Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka, was not present in the interface with the MPs, the queries raised by the lawmakers would be responded to in writing.
“We also wanted to request that the legal issues raised be responded to in writing because we don’t have the person of the Attorney [General] represented here,” Gen Muhwezi said.
Last week, in a heated session, lawmakers demanded that the deal be cancelled since the mother country, Russia, from which the company originates, is pressed with a string of sanctions for invading Ukraine.
However, the Security minister insisted that the deal would go on and hence would not affect the ongoing project.
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“It is true that the source of the technology is Russia, which happens to be involved in war with Ukraine over which NATO has taken some measures that affect the military alliance of NATO, which we are not part of and, therefore, I don’t think there is any problem,” Gen Muhwezi said.
The government revealed that the spy chips that are to be installed in the registration plates of vehicles and motorcycles will be manufactured locally.
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