Tororo District authorities have dismantled a large-scale counterfeit cement racket, leading to the arrest of five suspects and the seizure of over 700 bags of adulterated cement.
The operation, conducted in Osukuru Town Council, uncovered an illegal trade that had allegedly been thriving for years, with suspected involvement of key district leaders and police officers.
Milton Birunji, the Regional CID officer from Mbale, was assigned to lead the investigation. He was accompanied by a team of Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) officers drawn from Tororo.
Acting on intelligence reports, the team raided two stores in T-Caf Cell, T-Caf Ward, discovering 380 bags of counterfeit cement in one and 356 bags in the other.
Tororo Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Sadiq Bategana Bakale confirmed the existence of the racket and emphasized the grave risks posed by using fake cement in construction.
"We have confirmed that adulterated cement is being processed here and sold to different parts of the country. Fake cement is a serious security threat, especially when used for constructing storage facilities and other buildings," Bakale stated.
The RDC further revealed that five individuals had been arrested and were assisting security agencies in tracking down other suspects.
"So far, we have arrested five individuals who are helping us track down others involved," he added.
Preliminary investigations suggest that high-ranking district officials and security personnel may have been complicit in the illegal trade.
Anonymous security sources allege that Tororo LCV Chairperson John Okea, Regional Police Commander (RPC) Fred Ahimbisibwe, and Deputy RDC Albert Amula were receiving bribes to allow the racket to operate.
"We have information that key figures, including the LCV chairperson, the RPC of Tororo, and the deputy RDC, are involved. Those arrested have confessed that they pay these officials 400,000 shillings plus 200 liters of fuel every month to operate," a security officer who requested anonymity disclosed.
Authorities believe the counterfeit cement was produced using fine dust imported from Isimba Quarry in Njeru, Jinja.
"Our sources have revealed that 500 kilograms of fine dust are mixed with just 50 kilograms of genuine cement before being repackaged in smuggled Tororo Cement-branded bags and later sold to unsuspecting buyers," Investigator Milton Birunji explained.
This is not the first time Tororo has been exposed as a hub for counterfeit cement production and distribution. With investigations ongoing, authorities warn that more arrests are expected as they seek to dismantle the entire network behind the illicit trade.
Efforts to reach Tororo Cement for a comment were unsuccessful, as the managing director’s phone was unavailable.