The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has impounded over 4,900 litres of counterfeit and substandard paint worth UGX 74.4 million in a major operation conducted at Naiga Complex in downtown Kampala.
According to UNBS spokesperson Sylvia Kirabo, the suspects behind the illegal manufacturing were arrested and will be charged in the Standards and Utilities Court. She said the group lacked any technical competence in paint production.
“The people we have found here have no knowledge whatsoever of what paint is supposed to be made of, so they cannot make informed decisions to put a quality product on the market,” Kirabo stated.
The seized products included counterfeit versions of six certified paint brands bearing forged UNBS certification seals. Kirabo said the culprits had established retail networks that distributed the fake goods across the city.
“These shops have also been inspected, and the substandard and counterfeit products seized,” she added.
The bust followed intelligence-led surveillance operations that have been running since August, which revealed Kampala as a major source of illegal manufacturing.
“Our market surveillance and intelligence operations continue to point us to Kampala as the source of most illegal manufacturing activities,” Kirabo said.
She explained that Uganda has about 40 registered paint manufacturers producing over 230 certified brands, yet the suspects were not among the licensed producers.
Kirabo clarified that substandard products fail to meet national quality requirements, while counterfeit products are imitations of genuine goods intended to deceive consumers. She warned that both pose significant health and safety risks and distort fair competition in the market.
The UNBS spokesperson also emphasized the danger of excessive lead content in paints, noting that lead is a toxic heavy metal banned under national and international safety regulations.
“UNBS strictly regulates the permitted levels of lead in paint. Any product exceeding these limits is deemed hazardous and must not be placed on the market,” she said.
UNBS urged Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in manufacturing to obtain certification before releasing their products for sale. The Bureau reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing standards to protect consumers and ensure fair trade.
“Our mandate is to safeguard public health and promote quality through the enforcement of standards,” Kirabo concluded.
