The project has so far cost Uganda 64 million Euros, besides another Shs 118bn needed for the operation of the National Security Information System.
Mühlbauer Technology Group, a German company, was contracted in March 2010 to deliver equipment (software and hardware) that would be used to establish a biometric identity management system for an accurate national identity register.
Mühlbauer is yet to receive its outstanding balance of 17 million Euros. While the equipment was delivered at the ministry of Internal Affairs, the report explains that it is no longer capable of handling the project.
“The stocktaking indicated a significant high depreciation, loss and damage rate for the field equipment used in the voter updating process,” the report states.
In preparation for the 2011 elections, the Electoral Commission borrowed the equipment from the ministry of Internal Affairs but the report states that it was spoilt due to negligence. So far, of the procured 4,065 kits, only 2,483 kits have complete working components while 1,582 kits have missing components.
The report shows that 746 cameras have been lost, 30 laptops, 10 signature pads and a fingerprint scanner are missing. Yet, only 41 laptops, 20 cameras, five signature pads and a fingerprint scanner had warranties.
So, despite the targeted projection of 5.2 million IDs by the end of this year, only 400 have been completed, while the data EC collected is obsolete and cannot be used for the national data bank.
This means that taxpayers will need to fork out more money to purchase more equipment that will support the capture of information needed for the data bank. Edward Baliddawa (Kigulu North MP), a member of the ICT committee, says the ministry of internal Affairs should be reprimanded.
“They hold the responsibility for the loss because EC gave them the equipment but they decided to abandon it,” Baliddawa told The Observer.
Baliddawa’s views were echoed by other committee members.
“What we don’t understand is if the ministry will replace the equipment or not,” Anthony Ssemuli (Buwekula) said.
Appearing before the committee on behalf of the minister of Internal Affairs, Dr Stephen Kagoda, the Permanent Secretary, admitted that there has been a delay in the implementation of the project, but he promised this would change.
“We are behind schedule, but we believe that we are now on track,” he said.
He added that the equipment would be refurbished.
But the committee resolved that the National Information Technology Authority takes up the project.
“As a committee we now recommend that the project be handled by NITA-U, and we need a strategy for the regularisation of the arrangement,” committee vice chairperson, Paula Turyahikayo (Rubabo county) announced.
Change in roles
Under this arrangement, the project would be handled by the ministry of ICT, through NITA-U. According to the roadmap that has been drawn, the first mass ID issuance will start by 2013.
So far, a few hundred IDs have been handed to government officials, including President Museveni and the Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Sulaiman Kakaire
Quelle/Source: The Observer, 30.11.2011
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