KAMPALA. Thieves targeting car registration plates have returned to haunt Kampala City and its suburbs with new tactics, leaving car owners distressed.
Previously, the thieves’ modus operandi involved plucking off number plates from unsuspecting motorists’ cars at public parking spaces, weddings, churches and other public gathering and leaving their telephone contacts behind in order to negotiate for a ransom to reclaim it.
According to a mini survey done by this online news blog (The NewzZone) , the thieves have changed the tactics. Unlike in the previous incidences where they targeted street cars, they now blatantly jump over perimeter walls in the dead of the night to access cars and make off with the number plates.
Surprisingly, they jump over perimeter walls that are manned by security guards and also steal from homes where there are no perimeter walls but there are some other security measures.
After plucking off the number plates, the thieves leave behind their telephone numbers demanding for money through a mobile money transaction before directing the car owners to the location where the car registration plates are hidden, which is usually nearby.
This website has learnt that the latest incident happened last Thursday in Ndejje Kanyanya Ssabagabo division Wakiso District where 14 number plates were stolen from cars parked in different residential houses.
According to a note they left behind, victims were asked to send Shs100, 000 each to an Airtel mobile number 0754359263. They also threatened to destroy the car plates if the victims did not send the money within two working days.
Although police cautions victims in such incidences against sending money to culprits, at least five desperate victims in the Thursday incident paid Shs100, 000 each. This approach often doesn’t lead to the plate’s return, as thieves may continue to demand more money. The police recommended to report such incidents instead of paying a ransom.
Joseph Turyasingura, 44 years was among the victims but he refused to facilitate the crime by sending money to the thieves as they demanded.
“I called the number that was left behind and the one who picked demanded for Shs 100,000 if needed back the number plates,” Mr Turyasingura said.
Turyasingura informed this publication that when he woke up in the morning and he did not find his front vehicle number plate but rather found a note demanding for Money, he informed his neighbor Brain Mayanja who was also a victim that night, the two went to Ndejje Police station and filed a case of theft of number plates.
Ms Nansamba, another victim told this publication that although she reported the matter to the nearest police station, she was not helped. The investigators told her to give them time to track the suspects.
However, out of anxiety, she ended up sending the money to the thieves through an Airtel money agent.
“From our phone discussion, I easily noticed that the thieves know us very well and some of them are residents in our neighborhood because he kept on directing me to where my car registration plate was,” Ms Nansamba said.
Nansamba noted that the thief was hiding around the place and he was monitoring what I was doing.
“Immediately I got the number plate, he hung up on me and the phone went off,” she added.
Another victim, who also paid Shs100, 000 but declined to be named, expressed dissatisfaction with police over the matter.
“Besides, the thugs stay within and their mobile numbers are always on. So why can’t police officers start tracking the numbers instantly to arrest them? This is why most victims chose to pay that money because they don’t want to be frustrated by police investigations,” he said.
Vehicle number plate theft is on the rise because the criminals know that getting a replacement is a hassle, expensive, and time consuming.
The victim must report the case of theft to police, then publish details of the stolen number plate in the newspapers, the get an assessment form for payment of a motor vehicle registration plate replacement from the Uganda Revenue Authority, pay the money to the bank, return receipts to URA, go to the authorized number plate issuer, pay the fees, wait, the finally get the number place replacement.
The fees are about Shs200, 000 minus cost of adverts. Many people are not willing to go through the torture. They simply pay the criminals and get their license plate back. Unfortunately, this emboldens the criminals and explains why the vice is on the rise.
While real-time statistics on car number plate theft in Kampala Central Division are difficult to find, it’s known that number plates are a target for theft and that the act is illegal in Uganda. Sources from Crime Data analysis at Directorate of Criminal Investigations Kibuli told this newspaper that five cases of car number plate theft are reported daily in Kampala Metropolitan Area.
The theft of number plates, is a serious concern particularly in Kampala but the government has introduced digital number plates with microchips for vehicle tracking, aimed at curbing crime, challenges remain in implementing and enforcing the system.
Police speaks out
In Kampala, car number plate theft is a persistent problem, with criminals sometimes stealing plates from multiple vehicles in one area. The practice is on the rise because criminals find it easier to obtain and use stolen plates, making replacement a hassle for owners.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango told this publication that police have conducted several operations on reported cases of car number plate theft, some number plates have been recovered and suspects arrested and charged.
He added that several cases have been investigated and the detectives are working on the files to identify and apprehend individuals involved in the theft and resale of these plates.
According to police statistics, 58 stolen motor vehicle number plates have been recovered from Lwengo, Kajjansi, Banda Wakiso and Kasangati from January 2025.