On August 31, 2018, the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) released a list
of local and imported products that were deemed harmful not only to both the consumers
but also the environment. Most of the products were cosmetics and toilet paper. UNBS said in a statement that the cosmetics which failed quality tests contained hydroquinone – a banned substance used in skin bleaching creams.
Scientific studies have confirmed that hydroquinone may have adverse effects on human heath such as damage to internal organs including the liver. Other products are antibacterial bathing (toilet soap), energy saving bulbs and the plan was that the products be seized from shelves and destroyed and the manufacturers forced to comply with the standards.
But three weeks down the road, there are no signs of any progress in this regard. Matooke
Republic did a survey in some of the biggest supermarkets and shops in Kampala and found
some of the flagged products still on sale.
The companies such as Sure Deal and Mama Lususu continue to run adverts on televisions
pushing their products – products that have been found harmful by the standards regulator.
Where does this leave Ugandans?
James Afeku, an office administrator at Uganda Christian University went to buy toilet paper
at Wandegeya Supermarket but was amazed to find Piao Piao, an imported Chinese product on the shelf yet UNBS listed it as harmful.
“I have resorted to shopping with the UNBS list on my phone so that I avoid buying the harmful toilet soap and tissue paper,” he says. Afeku further faults the government for being poor at implementing their own policies exposing Ugandans to high health risks.
“They [government] claim they are securing us using guns and what not but at the same time exposing us to cancer causing products well knowing that they are harmful. Is it really so hard to close these companies and ban the importation of some products?” he
wondered. He cited several failed campaigns such as the ban on polythene bags,
ban on sachet alcohol, mandatory use of boda-boda helmets, and speed governors to prove how poor the government has been at implementing its own policies.
Barking dog?
In a space of nine months, UNBS has released the list of sub-standard
products thrice; in February, May and now August. What is surprising that some companies such as Maama Lususu and Sure Deal have featured on all the lists and their products are still on sale even as you read this article.
On September 14, 2017, products from Maama Lususu were impounded from Nakasero Complex in Kampala after UNBS found that they bore its certification logo yet the body had never subjected them to testing. When they were tested, all the products including; Lususu Family Jelly, Aunt Lususu Face Clearing Jelly and Aunt Lususu Cosmetics were found to contain mercury and hydroquinone – both cancer causing elements. As a result, Phiona Namawejje (Maama Lususu) was arrested and arraigned before Justice Gladys Kamasanyu of Buganda Road court on charges of wrongly using UNBS’s logo and knowingly selling sub-standard products.
After getting bail, Maama Lususu appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene and the matter never came up again until August 31 when her products made it to UNBS’
list again. The same applies to Sure Deal cosmetic products and Luxury toilet paper. On February 2, UNBS impounded cosmetics worth Shs300 million from Sure Deal offices in Kampala after their tested positive for hydroquinone. The company proprietor, Maria Prossy Namwanje was also subsequently arrested but later released. Her products popular among women are still on the market albeit having the same chemical identified in February.
According to Godwin Bonge Muhwezi, UNBS’ head of public relations, the products are on the market because they were not banned.
“We neither banned the companies nor the products. We simply impounded them so that the manufacturers can take corrective actions on them. All we did was inform the public to avoid them until we communicate otherwise,” Muhwezi told Matooke Republic.
Pressed harder, Muhwezi intimated that the Bureau is still the undertaking the process of impounding substandard products from shelves and that by the time of the interview, the team was in Masaka district.
“The UNBS Market Surveillance Team has so far seized items 6.2 tonnes of assorted food items, 1.2 tonnes of cosmetics, 2,051 pieces of mattresses, 410 kgs of electrical items, and 450 kgs of toilet paper,” he said before adding that “We recently destroyed more than 400 metric tonnes of substandard products worth Shs3.5 billion.”
Muhwezi argued that as UNBS performs her mandate of enforcing product compliance, Ugandans also play their vigilance role and report listed products to toll free
number 0800133133.
Ministries disinterested
Since some of the products are imported and posing health threats to the public, one would imagine that the line ministries of Trade and Health would be interested in the
goings-on. But when Matooke Republic reached out to the Ministry of Trade, we were told that the ministry formed UNBS as an autonomous body and given powers under the UNBS Act perform all the necessary actions such as impounding to enforce compliance.
“Ours is policy and oversight. We don’t engage in enforcing compliance because that is a mandate of UNBS. They have full powers under the law and that is their job,” Khadija Nakakande, the Ministry of Trade spokesperson said.
The Health ministry was unable to comment on this article as their known telephone numbers were unavailable and email went unresponded to. Ian Rumanyika, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)’s manager for Public & Corporate Affairs said the tax body is by law mandated to collect tax on any product that comes into Uganda or is manufactured here. In that regard, the companies listed for manufacturing or importing sub-standard products are paying excise
duty, VAT and other taxes for the products but noted that the authority can help UNBS bar entry of goods into Uganda if there is cause shown to that affect.
“We have actually stopped the importation of several products due to quality issues but in this case, it is different. As for the local products, it is their [UNBS] mandate to enforce quality assurance. Ours is tax compliance and collection and we are doing that very
well,” Rumanyika said.
Manufacturers speak out
When contacted for comment, Maama Lususu said she has complied with all the requirements UNBS has asked of her company but does not know why she keeps featuring on the list.
“We did everything they asked. They took my products worth millions, dragged my reputation in the mud. I don’t know what they want. I am an entrepreneur; I create jobs and incomes for hundreds of people. I pay my taxes. Why can’t they just let me be?” she told Matooke Republic in a telephone interview.
UNBS however remained adamant saying that until the