Kampala — Parliament has deferred debate on sugarcane weighbridge regulation until April 15, directing State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Industry) David Bahati to return with a detailed ministerial statement.
The move comes as scrutiny intensifies over weighbridges associated with sugarcane theft and informal trading.
The decision pauses immediate policy action following recent closures of roadside weighbridges in key sugarcane-growing areas.
Addressing the House, Bahati stressed that weighbridges remain essential for the sector but acknowledged regulatory gaps.
“Rt. Hon. Speaker, weighbridges are critical instruments of measurement in the sugarcane sector,” he said.
“They enable farmers to ascertain the weight of their cane prior to sale, thereby promoting fairness and transparency in transactions.”
He added that consultations had exposed oversight gaps.
“Without proper licensing, inspection and calibration, these instruments can distort transactions and create disputes within the value chain,” Bahati said. He noted that most weighbridges are owned by millers to support cane supply and processing.
Background: Closures Linked to Theft
The deferral follows enforcement actions in Masindi District, where authorities closed several roadside weighbridges—including Katuugo, Rukondwa, Kihande and Mirya—after investigations linked some operations to sugarcane theft and unregulated trade.
Local leaders said unregulated weighbridges enabled intermediaries to channel stolen or unverified cane into the supply chain.
“We don’t want someone to buy cane through a middle person and again sell it to the sugar company because a farmer loses a lot of money along this process,” said Masindi District Chairperson Cosmas Byaruhanga.
Kyatiri Town Council representative John Kisarach added: “If a farmer is to benefit from sugarcane growing, middlemen at the weighbridges should be completely eliminated.”
Authorities have approved relocating weighbridges from farming zones to controlled locations along highways and restricting operations to licensed entities, mainly millers, to improve traceability and compliance with the Sugar Act.
Officials said the previously removed Kihande weighbridge had been a key trading point for immediate farmer payments but was also flagged as part of informal trading networks linked to theft. Enforcement operations were supported by the Uganda Police Force.