The ill-equipped, under-staffed Uganda National Bureau of standards (UNBS) has been described by one minister as a time bomb because of its apparent failure to stop dangerous goods from coming to market.

The minister of trade Kahinda Otafiire, who is also the minister responsible for UNBS made the harsh remarks after meeting a parliamentary committee that is investigating recent scores of deaths allegedly from waragi.

It is estimated that some 35 people have died this year from various parts of the country due to Waragi mixed with Methanol.

The minister said this as he was clarifying on the alleged ban on waragi sold in sachets by the ministry of health.

"The capacity of UNBS to look at the consumables of this country is very poor," Otafiire said.
Otafiire blamed the government for failing to adequately fund UNBS which he said is informed by the view by those responsible for allocating funds, that UNBS is not an important body.

Even with a 70-strong staff, a seemingly sizeable number employed by UNBS, Otafiire argues that these people are not sufficient to be in all areas and border points to check all imports and processed products into the country.

The minister appealed to the parliamentarians to expand and increase funding of UNBS as a way of boosting its capacity to protect the country against dangerous products including consumables.

The minister said it was likely the waragi that is killing people was imported or even produced in the country but that with UNBS very thin on the ground, they are unable to effectively do their job.

UNBS sources said that unscrupulous people add excessive proportions of a potentially dangerous substance called Methanol to ordinary Waragi in the hope that makes its consumers become tipsy faster. However, Otafiire argued that because of the staffing and other logistical challenges such as lack of testing equipment, UNBS is unable to track the culprits.

The UNBS director Terry Kawuma supported Kahinda by arguing that the government is unmindful of the country's health.

"With no workforce and no vehicles, we are forced to use scare crow tactics," Dr Kawuma said. He explained that they move with their marked vehicles in towns where they are not present but that only has the effect of alerting counterfeiters to hide their fake goods for a few days before they start operating as usual.

Kawuma explained that while there are 54 entry points for imports in the country manned by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) only fourteen have the presence of UNBS.

By Dicta Asiimwe

 

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