Ceramics giants Goodwill rejects tile safety claims, vows legal action against online forgers

Goodwill Ceramics Ltd, the country’s leading ceramics company, says it has reported an online document alleging health risks from its tiles to police and will pursue legal action against those who created or spread it.

The company says the document, which bears its name and logo, is forged. It accuses unnamed competitors of running a campaign to damage its reputation, but stopped short of naming the rivals linked to the posts.

“We have formally filed a report with the police. Investigations are now underway,” administration manager David Mawejje told journalists at Goodwill’s factory in the Liao-Shen Industrial Park in Kapeeka, Nakaseke District.

“We demand a thorough probe to identify the masterminds behind the disinformation. We will pursue full legal liability,” he said.

The disputed document purports to be an apology from Goodwill. It claims that reviews by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and the Ministry of Health found excessive levels of substances used in the production of some ceramic and porcelain tiles. 

It also alleges that the problem caused symptoms among workers and the death of a factory employee.

Goodwill rejected those claims and said it did not issue, approve or endorse the document. 

In an earlier notice to workers, distributors and customers dated September 19, 2026, the company called it “false and forged”. 

The notice said there were no unsafe batches, production deviations or suspensions of new orders. It added that production, sales and after-sales services for its Goodwill, Crown Crane and Gorilla brands were continuing.

At the press conference, Mawejje stressed that all the company’s products held UNBS certification and met Uganda’s requirements for quality, safety and environmental protection.

“Our compliance stands firm and can withstand any official inspection and market verification,” he said. He described claims of “problems with UNBS certification” as fabricated.

Mawejje also disputed the document’s use of UNBS and the Ministry of Health to support its allegations. He said falsely attributing findings to government agencies misled customers and damaged confidence in both the company and its regulators.

“This public opinion incident is not a product quality issue. It is a typical case of unfair competition and malicious smear campaign,” he said. “Unable to compete fairly on quality, pricing and service, our opponents have turned to rumour-mongering and slander.”

Mawejje said the company wanted police to trace its origin and investigate anyone who falsely invoked the names of state agencies.

The company’s head of public relations, Fan Jun Jun, also called on Uganda’s security agencies to take the case seriously. He said investors could lose confidence in the country if they believed false online claims against manufacturers could spread without consequences.

Fan contrasted Uganda with China, where, he said, people must use national identification to open social media accounts, making it easier to trace those responsible for harmful posts.

Goodwill Ceramics registered in Uganda in 2017 and began production in 2018. It was commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni.

The company said it currently commands over 70% of the ceramics market share in Uganda, and exports to neighboring countries.

The company says it sources more than 90 per cent of its raw materials locally and directly employs more than 1,300 Ugandans. It estimates that its operations support another 2,000 jobs.

Around Kapeeka, the company is also engaged in a series of corporate social responsibility projects including a major facelift given to Kapeeka Primary School which was often affected by bad weather due to poor quality classroom buildings.