The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has warned manufacturers, traders and importers against distributing uncertified products, saying such goods pose serious risks to public health and safety.
Speaking during a training on standards and metrology for journalists in Mukono District, UNBS Market Surveillance Manager Daniel Arorwa said allowing products onto the market without proper certification exposes consumers to potentially dangerous goods.
Arorwa explained that UNBS frequently intercepts consignments of products, including beverages, that have not been certified for safety and quality.
“If you allow people to produce and use others as guinea pigs, it is very dangerous. Sometimes we intercept a consignment of drinks and tell the distributor it is not certified, so we cannot allow it to be consumed by the public,” he said.
He noted that certification ensures products are thoroughly tested at every stage of production—from raw materials to processing and distribution—to confirm they are safe for human consumption.
Arorwa also cautioned traders against poor food-handling practices, saying products such as bread should not be transported in unhygienic conditions, including being carried on a bare chest or on motorcycles exposed to dust.
According to him, such poor handling can lead to food contamination and poisoning, cases that are often blamed on manufacturers even though the contamination occurs during transportation.
The UNBS official further emphasized the importance of calibrating equipment used in sectors such as health care, trade and industry.
He warned that inaccurate machines in hospitals could lead to incorrect medical dosages or anesthesia during surgery, potentially putting patients’ lives at risk.
“If a person is weighed differently in different hospitals, it means they can be given the wrong dosage of medicine or anesthesia, which can be fatal. That is why machines must be calibrated,” Arorwa said.
He added that calibration also ensures fairness in trade, noting that weighing scales used by traders must provide accurate measurements so that consumers receive the correct quantity of goods they pay for.
Arorwa clarified that UNBS does not manufacture products but only certifies them after verification and inspection. He compared certification to a driving permit issued by authorities, explaining that although a producer may be certified after passing an inspection, they can later violate standards.
“UNBS gives certification after inspection, but if someone later begins using poor practices, they will be penalized,” he said.
He also warned about the continued importation of substandard goods, noting that some traders smuggle products into the country without proper inspection.
Arorwa explained that because inspectors can only sample a few items from large consignments, some substandard goods may pass through undetected and only be discovered once they are already on the market.
To minimize such risks, he urged importers to have their goods inspected in the country of origin and obtain a Certificate of Conformity before shipping them to Uganda.
“If traders inspect goods from where they are manufactured and get a certificate of conformity, it saves time and ensures only quality products enter the country,” he said.
He added that importers who skip this process risk delays because their goods must undergo testing upon arrival in Uganda, including laboratory analysis before clearance.
UNBS says strict enforcement of standards and certification processes remains critical to protecting consumers, promoting fair trade and maintaining the quality and safety of products on the Ugandan market.
