Cabinet has approved a draft Bill to regulate and monitor the use of government vehicles attached to government officials across the country.
Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Justine Kasule Lumumba, says the proposal was part of the issues discussed on Monday at the Cabinet meeting chaired by President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe.
The reforms come against the backdrop of repeated Auditor General reports highlighting weaknesses in the management of government vehicles, including poor record-keeping, excessive maintenance costs, weak monitoring of fuel consumption and delays in disposing of obsolete vehicles.
The government says the proposed law will establish a single framework to manage the entire lifecycle of public vehicles and machinery and improve accountability.
The Cabinet approved the draft Plant, Machinery and Vehicles Management Bill, 2026.
The law, once enacted by Parliament, will establish a unified legal framework governing the acquisition, operation, maintenance and disposal of government-owned plant, machinery and vehicles.
According to Cabinet, the current legal regime governing government vehicles and heavy machinery remains fragmented across several institutions, resulting in overlapping mandates, duplication of responsibilities and weak accountability in managing public assets.
The proposed legislation seeks to consolidate these functions under a competent professional structure within the Ministry of Works and Transport.
“The proposal is to draft a Bill on comprehensive regulation and governance of the modernised Plant, Machinery and Vehicles Management System by instituting unified governance, adopting modern technology and implementing vehicle lifecycle management reforms,” the Cabinet statement says.
Under the proposed law, the entire lifecycle of government assets, from procurement and deployment to maintenance, monitoring, reallocation, enhancement, disposal and replacement, would be regulated under one system.
The reforms also envisage introducing uniform standards to improve safety, operational efficiency and sustainability while establishing clear criteria for classification and lifecycle management of government vehicles.
Cabinet intends to position the country’s public fleet management within the broader digital transformation agenda by promoting research and development in emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, automation and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The proposal aligns with the National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), which prioritises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and value-for-money in public investment. It also complements the Public Finance Management Act, 2015, which requires prudent management and protection of public assets, and the National ICT Policy, which encourages adoption of emerging technologies across government institutions.
If enacted, the legislation could significantly reduce vehicle misuse, improve accountability and lower maintenance costs that have historically burdened government expenditure-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
