The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Business grounded to a halt at Arua Park yesterday morning when Uganda National Bureau of Standards–UNBS officials raided People’s Plaza and Kati-Kati Plaza and impounded several cartons of sachet alcohol.
The UNBS team was accompanied by Uganda Revenue Authority –URA officials and officers from the Police Alert Squad Unit under the command of Senior Superintendent of Police-SSP, Seiko Chemonges.
The team recovered unspecified amount of sachet and bottled waragi of less than 200 milliliters from traders in the two buildings.
The UNBS Spokesperson, Victoria Namutebi, says the operation was prompted by reports that several traders are still selling sachet and bottled Waragi of less than 200mls despite being banned by the Trade Minister, Amelia Kyambadde four months ago.
Kyambadde set May 30th, 2019 as the deadline for the commercial production and sale of sachet alcohol.
She advised all producers and traders who had stockpiles of sachets Waragi to utilize the grace period to dispose it off.
However, Namutebi says they continued receiving information that some traders were still selling the banned Waragi leading to today’s operation.
Government delegitimized the commercial manufacture and consumption of sachet alcohol in sachets in 2017 citing health and environmental concerns.
It was also the same directive that invoked price control mechanisms to prohibit access to smaller quantities of alcohol by the populace.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, said traders whose Waragi was confiscated were cautioned against trading in prohibited alcohol.
Police said similar operations will continue in various parts of Kampala and its neighborhood where sachet alcohol is still being sold.
On May 10th this year, Kyambadde said cabinet had passed a resolution requiring manufacturers to install bottling machinery for packing gins beyond 200-milliliters.
The minister said at least 15 of more than 30 manufacturers under the Uganda Alcohol Manufacturers’ Association had complied with the new directive.
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