Police burst racket of fake cement dealers

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police have burst a racket of fake cement dealers in Jinja city and its surroundings, and arrested the ring leader Abdul Kyewalyanga. He was arrested Tuesday morning at a construction site along Clive road in Jinja City Southern division.

Police also recovered 20 bags of fake cement and five sacks mixed with ash and lake sand. Kyewalyanga’s arrest follows a two-week-long crackdown on fake cement dealers, who are accused of mixing cement with ash and lake sand.

The adulterated cement is normally sold to unsuspecting clients between Shillings 28,000-30,000. It is suspected that Kyewalyanga and his other accomplices still at large, connive with construction site managers to dilute the cement meant for the works on their site and sell the surplus to unsuspecting clients at cheaper prices.

Kyewalyanga told journalists that he does not own the project but works for some businessmen who supply him with empty cement bags and UNBS quality marks, which enables them to easily resell the adulterated cement undetected.

He also revealed that some clients, however, prefer their cement packed in plain sacks for easy transportation on charcoal-filled trucks. Kiira region police spokesperson James Mubi says that detectives have intensified the hunt for other prime suspects.

He has urged contractors to purchase quality construction materials from licensed hardware shops, arguing that such fake building materials are the main triggers of collapsing sites.

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