Civil society organisations (CSOs) have raised alarm over what they describe as a silent but escalating public health crisis caused by unsafe food, warning that millions of Ugandans may be consuming contaminated products daily without knowing it.
The call was made on Sunday in Kampala during commemoration of World Food Safety Day 2026 under the theme “From Burdens to Solutions, Food Safety Everywhere.”
The organisations, led by the Food Rights Alliance, urged government to treat food safety as an urgent national priority rather than a routine regulatory concern.
They estimate that about 1.3 million Ugandans suffer from foodborne illnesses annually, with contaminated food contributing to roughly 14 percent of diseases treated in the country.
“Everyone is a potential victim of unsafe food. Consumers cannot see, smell or taste many violations and failure to meet food safety standards,” said Food Rights Alliance Executive Director Agnes Kirabos.
She added: “A right to food is meaningless when the food available to families can make them sick. Every food consumer has the right to food that is available, affordable, nutritious and safe.”
The CSOs said the problem cuts across the entire food value chain—from farms and transport systems to markets, street vendors, and household kitchens—exposing consumers to invisible but harmful contaminants.
They cited aflatoxins in maize and groundnuts, pesticide residues in fresh produce, antibiotic misuse in livestock, contaminated water, and poor hygiene in storage and processing systems as key drivers of the crisis.
They also raised concern over emerging threats such as antimicrobial resistance linked to livestock production practices and chemical contamination from agro-industrial activities, warning that these risks could undermine public health and Uganda’s export competitiveness.
According to the coalition, Uganda continues to lose significant export earnings due to pesticide residue violations and weak compliance systems, while households face rising healthcare costs linked to foodborne diseases.
The organisations further argued that Uganda’s food safety framework remains fragmented, with outdated laws and weak enforcement mechanisms failing to match the complexity of modern food systems.
They are now calling for the fast-tracking of a dedicated Food and Agriculture Regulatory Authority to coordinate enforcement and close existing regulatory gaps.
Additional recommendations include the removal of highly hazardous pesticides from circulation, strengthened border inspections, expanded laboratory testing capacity, and improved farmer education on safe chemical use.
The CSOs also urged the government, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, to commercialise Aflasafe to combat aflatoxin contamination and invest in improved storage, transport, and post-harvest handling infrastructure.
Other organisations that supported the call include SEATINI Uganda, CEFROHT, PELUM Uganda, FIAN Uganda, Action Against Hunger (ACF), Caritas Uganda, CONSENT, and the Food Safety Coalition Uganda.
The groups warned that without urgent intervention, Uganda risks deepening both its public health burden and economic losses.
“Food safety is everyone’s business. If it is not safe to eat, it is not food,” the coalition said, calling for coordinated action from government, private sector actors, farmers, and consumers.