UNBS recently closed more than 50 Maize mills over poor standards
Jackson Atima, the Arua Central Member of parliament has asked the government to give the Uganda National Bureau of Standards-UNBS, the same attention it gives to the Health Ministry.
He said this when he raised a matter of national importance in parliament on Tuesday while briefing the house about the death of 12 people in Arua city after taking City 5, a locally produced potent gin.
The MP noted that the killer gin is not certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), noting that there are a number of similar substandard products on the market. He asked the government to compensate the families of those who lost their lives and meet the bills of those in hospital.
So far, four suspects, all from Kasua cell, Pokea ward, Ayivu West division in Arua City, are in police custody in connection to the deaths. They were picked up from the City 5 alcohol plant in Kasua cell, Pokea ward in Arua Ayivu City West division.
According to police, the owner of the manufacturing plant is still at large and a general inquiry file has been opened at Arua Central Police station under reference number Arua CPS DEF 11/2022. Afidra Olema, the Lower Madi County MP told parliament that such deaths have been ongoing in West Nile for now 3 months.
Speaking during plenary, David Bahati the Minister of State for Industries, said that the government had started the process of testing the drink to find out its contents.
