Photos: 79 tons of underweight cement seized; stores named

Authorities have seized 79 tonnes of suspected underweight cement in Kampala, in a sting operation targeting dozens of cement stores.

The operation by Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS targeted cement dealers at Goodshed-Biwologoma along Entebbe Road and recovered 1,077 bags of cement whose actual weight was below what was declared on the packaging.

UNBS said on Wednesday, that its surveillance team inspected 29 cement stores and outlets.

Inspectors also recovered more than four tonnes of empty cement bags and other materials suspected to have been used to repackage cement.

The businesses where UNBS said it found suspected underweight cement or bundles of empty packaging included Alizahad Ventures, Walusimbi Store, Kateregga’s Store, Hajj Kababba Store I, Hajji Kababba Store II, Bosco’s Shop and Nambooze Lime Stores General Hardware.

Others were Good Shade Shop GS-022, GS-010, Cement Shop GS-013, GS-007 Cement Store, GS-012 Store, Shop GS-008, Shop GS-005 and Shop 12 Cement Store.

UNBS also listed several stores whose owners were unknown, including one above Kateregga’s Store, another next to Seroma Sales Office, four stores and an open ground at Good Shade, and another unidentified shop. 

Cement on truck registration number UBE 003T was also targeted during the operation.

UNBS Senior Surveillance Officer Sarah Nantongo said consumers must receive the quantity stated on product packaging.

“Consumers have a right to receive the accurate product quantity as declared on a product,” Nantongo said.

She said deliberately reducing the quantity of goods, including through repackaging and selling underweight products, was unacceptable.

UNBS said suspects arrested during the operation were handed over to the Criminal Investigations Directorate as investigations continue.

The crackdown follows months of controversy over underweight cement, which gained attention after social media videos showed some bags labelled as weighing 50 kilogrammes registering between 40 and 42 kilogrammes on scales. 

One consumer who posted such footage was arrested over allegations of damaging a cement brand. 

The controversy prompted UNBS to investigate the supply chain. On August 6, the standards body said tests at certified factories showed that sampled cement bags met the required weight. 

It instead traced cases of underweight cement to some dealers who allegedly siphoned cement from genuine bags and repackaged it in used bags.

UNBS said it had already discovered three outlets in Mukono, Mbale and Nakasongola involved in the practice during the 2025/26 financial year. Authorities sealed the warehouses and arrested suspects for prosecution. 

The regulator subsequently ordered cement dealers to provide verified weighing scales so customers can check bags before buying them. 

The enforcement campaign intensified this month. On September 8, UNBS and police seized more than 50 tonnes of cement in downtown Kampala. Some of the repackaged bags weighed as little as 35 kilogrammes instead of the declared 50 kilogrammes. Fifteen suspects were arrested. 

UNBS maintains that its investigations have not found certified manufacturers responsible for the underweight bags. It says the evidence points to tampering, siphoning and repackaging during distribution, storage or at points of sale.

The bureau has urged buyers to weigh cement before purchase and check packaging for batch numbers, manufacturing dates and signs of tampering. It has also asked construction sites to destroy empty cement bags to prevent traders from reusing them.