UNBS Seizes 17,770 Litres of 'llicit' Alcohol in Kampala

What the report says

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) says it has removed large quantities of suspected illicit alcohol from sale in Kampala after a market surveillance operation in Nakulabye and Kiwunya. According to the Nile Post report, the agency seized 17,770 litres of illicit alcohol, about 8,500 litres of unlabelled neutral spirit and roughly 600 bottles of uncertified gin. The action followed consumer complaints about substandard alcoholic products on the market.

UNBS said the biggest haul came from Happy Emmanuels Stores, where officials recovered 9,120 litres of illicit alcohol and 4,500 litres of neutral spirit. Other reported seizures included products from Fred Asiimwe’s Store, Harriets Shop, Lillies Quality Suppliers, Musoke Adolf Shop, Nakulabye Super Waragi and Spirit, Brenda Beverages and Logistics Shop, and Mwanguhya Shop. The brands named in the operation included Timing, Soccer/Socar, Kyakabi, Revo and Cheza.

The bureau said the operation was carried out under Uganda’s standards law, market surveillance rules and product labelling requirements. It urged consumers to check that alcoholic drinks are properly labelled and certified before buying them, and asked the public to report suspected non-compliant products. In general, such enforcement actions are meant to limit unsafe goods in the market and protect consumers, though the article did not say whether any arrests or prosecutions followed.