'Proper chemical handling key as Uganda fulfils industrialisation agenda'
“We must monitor chemical waste from the moment it is generated to its final disposal,” Achaye said.
Some of the participants in the two days training, most of them factory workers. (Photos by Hudson Apunyo)
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As Uganda races towards industrialisation, experts have raised the alarm over poor handling and disposal of chemicals in workplaces and communities, warning that the growing misuse threatens human life, the environment and the nation’s development agenda.
Speaking during a two-day training in Lira organised by the gender ministry (MGLSD) in partnership with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), experts called for stricter compliance, awareness, and collaboration to ensure safe use and disposal of chemical substances.
Dr Innocent Achaye, the manager of chemical safety, radiation and pollution prevention at NEMA, said Uganda’s industries and agricultural sector are generating increasing amounts of chemical waste, most of which is poorly handled.
He stressed the need for enterprises to establish designated storage areas, ensure proper labelling, and link up with licensed waste handlers for safe transportation and treatment.
“We must monitor chemical waste from the moment it is generated to its final disposal,” Achaye said.
“But most importantly, prevention and minimisation of waste at the source is the best practice.”
He warned that indiscriminate disposal of chemical waste pollutes water sources, endangers plant and animal life, and leads to diseases in humans.
Assistant RDC of Lira Proscovia Ayo giving a certificate of attendance to one of the participants.
From the gender ministry, Franco Azi Oyara, the co-ordinator of the chemical safety and security programme, said the Government is scaling up nationwide sensitisation on chemical safety as part of a multi-ministerial initiative.
“Chemicals have become indispensable in our lives—from agriculture to construction and medicine—but when mishandled, they can destroy the environment, interfere with human metabolism or even be weaponised,” he explained.
Oyara noted that the current training, starting with Lira District, targets workers who are the first to handle chemicals at their workplaces, urging them to act as ambassadors of safety in their communities.
Alex Ogwal, the principal general health inspector at MGLSD, said the ministry has shifted from routine inspections to an interactive approach that combines inspection with education to help workers understand the risks and compliance gaps at their workplaces.
“We realised that most people fail to comply not because they are defiant, but because they lack knowledge. By talking to them, they begin to appreciate why safety matters,” Ogwal said.
He added that the government now seeks to harmonise the work of different agencies through joint outreach programmes to avoid duplication and ensure a more comprehensive response to environmental and workplace safety challenges.
Representing the business community, Patrick Ouni from the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lira branch, described the training as timely, given the ongoing development of the Lira Industrial Park.
“This training comes at the right time as industries prepare to take off. It will help factory owners and workers manage chemicals safely and prevent disasters,” Ouni said.
He acknowledged that much of the chemical use in northern Uganda is linked to agriculture and called for widespread sensitisation to prevent contamination of food chains and the environment.
Closing the training on behalf of gender minister Betty Amongi Ongom, the assistant resident district commissioner of Lira, Proscovia Ayo, lauded the initiative as a strategic intervention for a region fast emerging as an industrial hub.
“The training has equipped participants from Lira, Gulu, and surrounding districts with vital skills to manage chemicals safely,” Ayo said.
“I call upon you to become ambassadors of safety in your workplaces and communities.”
She urged citizens to be cautious about chemical use even at home, citing common cases where families spray vegetables in the morning and unknowingly eat them the same evening, exposing themselves to poisoning.
“We must protect both our economic gains and the people behind those gains,” she concluded.
As Uganda continues to industrialise, the message from Lira was clear: chemical safety is not an option but a shared responsibility, for government, industries, workers and communities alike.