Museveni ditches ceramic plates at State House over ‘dangerous chemicals’

President Yoweri Museveni raised eyebrows last night, announcing that State House had replaced his ceramic dinnerware with locally produced wooden plates. 

The President revealed during a radio interview in Mbale on Friday that his staff had been concerned over “poisonous plates” containing harmful substances.

As such, he said, he was forced to shift towards utensils rooted in traditional Ugandan craft for his own safety.

President Museveni made the revelation, while discussing the disappearance of traditional specialisations, known in Runyankore as Emyooga.

“Before colonialism, we had livelihood specializations (Emyooga) such as black smiths, carpenters, potters. Before colonialism, there was no unemployment because everyone had a specialisation. But when the Europeans came, they destroyed Emyooga, like for instance, the woodwork and they brought these breakable plates.”

Museveni then delivered the striking revelation on how he was compelled to return to wooden plates, replacing ceramics.

“But for me I am moving away…I am going back to the wooden plates, because the wooden plates are better than those poisonous plates which are full of all sorts of chemicals,” he said.

“My people have chased some plates from here because they had chemicals in them.” 

The Chemical Threat in Glazes

The President's concern about "poisonous plates" is backed by research especially for specific types of poorly regulated ceramics. 

The main chemical threat comes from heavy metals, namely lead and cadmium, used in the colourful glazes that give ceramic dishes their bright and attractive appearance.

According to studies, if the ceramic item is fired at an insufficient temperature or if the glaze recipe is substandard—common issues with cheaply mass-produced dinnerware—these heavy metals may not be properly bonded and can leach into food and drink. 

This leaching is exacerbated when the dishes come into contact with acidic foods such as coffee, tomato sauces, fruit juices, or vinegar. 

Several health bodies worldwide have strict limits on these metals due to the risk they pose.

The ingestion of leached lead and cadmium can lead to severe health consequences. 

Lead poisoning is particularly dangerous, known to cause neurological damage, kidney dysfunction, and high blood pressure in adults. 

In children, lead exposure is linked to developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioural problems. 

Cadmium exposure is primarily associated with kidney damage, lung damage, and brittle bones.