Seven waragi brands banned
Sep 04, 2009
THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards has blacklisted seven brands of local gin as investigations continue into the death of 25 people suspected to be caused by drinking poisonous alcohol.
By Francis Kagolo and Steven Candia
THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards has blacklisted seven brands of local gin as investigations continue into the death of 25 people suspected to be caused by drinking poisonous alcohol.
The agency yesterday said several spirits and gin had not been certified, warning that consumers of such waragi were risking their lives.
Patrick Ssekitoleko, the agency’s quality assurance manager, listed the illegal liquors as Empire Waragi, African Gin, Princes Vodka, Planet Vodka and Rwenzori Gin.
Another brand, 3R Zed, is also questionable, Ssekitoleko said. “We are aware of an alcohol distilling company called 3R International but we are not certain whether it is the one distilling this brand of waragi. We must investigate.â€
Some brands were new to UNBS, he said. “They are produced by people we don’t know, whom we have never registered and who have refused to come for free technical assistance.â€
He warned the public against consuming such brands until the agency clears their production.
The statutory body is charged with ensuring that all imports and products manufactured locally meet the standard.
Some of the blacklisted brands were collected for examination by health minister Stephen Mallinga from the villages of Bukabi and Kasozi in Kammengo sub-county in Mpigi during an impromptu tour on Wednesday.
Out of the 25 people who died across the country a fortnight ago, nine are from this sub-county. The survivors told the minister that they drank sachets of waragi prior to falling sick.
The other deaths occurred in Kulambiro in Kampala, Kabarole and Bulenga in Wakiso. In Kasese, four prison warders of Ibuku Prison were among the dead.
The symptoms include loss of vision, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness, body weakness and coma. The ministry has attributed the deaths to drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol, a toxic spirit used for automotive purposes.
Ssekitoleko yesterday said the standards agency had launched fresh investigations into all alcohol brewing companies. The Police yesterday joined in the investigations into the mysterious deaths, which some attribute to witchcraft.
Moses Sakira, the investigations chief, yesterday said: “We have taken up the matter and are going out to the field.†Samples, he added, had been taken from the victims and submitted to the Government analytical laboratory in Wandegeya for tests.
“The samples were taken from victims in Kasese and we are waiting for the results,†he said.
Dr. Nathan Kenya-Mugisha, the director of clinical and community health services, said experts yesterday inspected Luzira-based East African Uganda Breweries, an international company producing beers and spirits.
He added that a joint report by the standards agency, the ministry, the Police and the World Health Organisation would be ready next week.
THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards has blacklisted seven brands of local gin as investigations continue into the death of 25 people suspected to be caused by drinking poisonous alcohol.
The agency yesterday said several spirits and gin had not been certified, warning that consumers of such waragi were risking their lives.
Patrick Ssekitoleko, the agency’s quality assurance manager, listed the illegal liquors as Empire Waragi, African Gin, Princes Vodka, Planet Vodka and Rwenzori Gin.
Another brand, 3R Zed, is also questionable, Ssekitoleko said. “We are aware of an alcohol distilling company called 3R International but we are not certain whether it is the one distilling this brand of waragi. We must investigate.â€
Some brands were new to UNBS, he said. “They are produced by people we don’t know, whom we have never registered and who have refused to come for free technical assistance.â€
He warned the public against consuming such brands until the agency clears their production.
The statutory body is charged with ensuring that all imports and products manufactured locally meet the standard.
Some of the blacklisted brands were collected for examination by health minister Stephen Mallinga from the villages of Bukabi and Kasozi in Kammengo sub-county in Mpigi during an impromptu tour on Wednesday.
Out of the 25 people who died across the country a fortnight ago, nine are from this sub-county. The survivors told the minister that they drank sachets of waragi prior to falling sick.
The other deaths occurred in Kulambiro in Kampala, Kabarole and Bulenga in Wakiso. In Kasese, four prison warders of Ibuku Prison were among the dead.
The symptoms include loss of vision, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness, body weakness and coma. The ministry has attributed the deaths to drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol, a toxic spirit used for automotive purposes.
Ssekitoleko yesterday said the standards agency had launched fresh investigations into all alcohol brewing companies. The Police yesterday joined in the investigations into the mysterious deaths, which some attribute to witchcraft.
Moses Sakira, the investigations chief, yesterday said: “We have taken up the matter and are going out to the field.†Samples, he added, had been taken from the victims and submitted to the Government analytical laboratory in Wandegeya for tests.
“The samples were taken from victims in Kasese and we are waiting for the results,†he said.
Dr. Nathan Kenya-Mugisha, the director of clinical and community health services, said experts yesterday inspected Luzira-based East African Uganda Breweries, an international company producing beers and spirits.
He added that a joint report by the standards agency, the ministry, the Police and the World Health Organisation would be ready next week.