Gov't cancels Aponye's food contract over poor quality

Businessman Apollo Nyegamehe commonly known as Aponye is in a spotlight for allegedly supplying substandard food, deemed to be unfit for human consumption.

The Minister for Kampala, Betty Amongi said that Aponye supply contract was terminated after officials from the Office of the  Prime Minister discovered that the food consignments he had supplied were of poor quality.

"When they tested some of those consignments which were in big volume which would have served for the period of Easter were found not fit for consumption by UNBS,"she said.

Addressing the media yesterday, Musa Ecweru, the state minister for Disaster Preparedness singled out the businessman's firm as one of the companies that failed Uganda National Bureau of Standards tests.

On April 4, Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda launched the campaign to supply food to the vulnerable community in Wakiso and Kampala districts following the nationwide lockdown which greatly affected their daily income.

However, some of the food relief including phoso and beans that were supplied by Aponye were found unfit for human consumption.

"Aponye had some challenges, food was found to have some foreign bodies like the beans were not clean, so they were told to go, "Ecweru said.

Ecweru also said that the firm is free to re-apply on condition if they source good quality food.

However, Aponye denied supplying substandard food, challenging the minister to produce a certificate that shows that he supplied food of poor quality.

"I have never supplied substandard food. The minister should produce a certificate that shows that I supplied substandard foods, the allegation is not true,"he said.

Officials from the OPM also indicated that several other companies might have supplied substandard food although they are yet to be named.