The Hon. Minister for Security
Government of the Republic of Uganda
Kampala
I write in reference to the above subject following the decision of the government to forcefully deploy new vehicle number plates with GPS tracking system embedded.
I call this forceful for the following reasons:
- The decision breaches my right to privacy as guaranteed by Article 27 of the 1995 constitution which article I reproduce here.
| Side Note | Article |
| ·      Regulation of evidence collection ·      Right to privacy
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27. Right to privacy of person, home and other property
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| 1.    No person shall be subjected to
a.     unlawful search of the person, home or other property of that person; or b.    unlawful entry by others of the premises of that person. 2.    No person shall be subjected to interference with the privacy of that person’s home, correspondence, communication or other property. |
- Secondly the directive imposes a cost to me that is both uncalled for and unnecessary
As one of the people who toiled to debate and promulgate the 1995 constitution, of which you were an honourable delegate, I am privy to the arguments and counter arguments that led to the passing of the articles of the constitution that is our supreme law of the land.
Our constitution was framed to address the ills we went through. This dream is well summarised in Preamble and the National Objectives and Directives of State Policy
Unfortunately for the people of Uganda there has been, and continues to emerge actions by the state that are directly in conflict with the constitution and the consequences of ignoring these deliberate actions in to move from constitutional to rule by decree.
I am also empowered by Article 3 of the constitution of Uganda to defend the supreme law of the land and to fight for my rights
Targeting the wrong source of terrorism
While the state argues that vehicles deliver those who commit crime, which type of car has killed or robbed a person? The real killer is the gun.
It is common knowledge that the state owns more guns than all private persons put together. It is also common knowledge that guns owned by the state have been regularly hired out by undisciplined security personnel to criminals or stolen to use in robbery and murder.
So why does the state leave the killer weapon free to move ad instead concentrate on the means of transporting it?
The logic should be to install tracking chips in guns as it will be much easier to monitor the actual killer or enabler of robberies
Exposing me to high risk
Apart for intruding my privacy, the installation of a tracking device on my car will expose me to being tracked by criminals who have contacts in the police or police operatives with criminal minds. I do not need to belabour the fact that many criminals have contacts in the police whom they use for protection when they commit crime. It will therefore turn out much easier to track and rob or kill Ugandans whose movement will hence forth be recorded by police 24/7/52
I therefore implore you to inform government to reverse this illegal directive.
Failure to do so I will take matter to the constitutional court as I do not see any legality in its implementation
Your humble citizen
Eng. Darlington Sakwa
Former CA Delegate
Bungokho South Constituency
