KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda National Bureau of Standards has decentralized its testing operations to regional laboratories and set an annual target of 100,000 product samples as part of a new strategy to bolster export competitiveness.
The expansion, which includes facilities in Gulu, Mbale and Mbarara, aims to ease access to testing services for food and agricultural commodities while reducing costs for producers. Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the deputy executive director for standards, announced the targets Friday during the launch of a new media initiative in partnership with TradeMark Africa.
Ejalu said the regional labs will test products such as milk, dairy, edible oils, cereals and water before they are released to the market. The move is designed to reduce congestion at the central laboratory in Bweyogerere.
“Uganda’s development requires improved adherence to quality standards by producers, importers, and exporters,” Ejalu said. “Standards are not barriers to trade; they are enablers of competitiveness.”
The technical expansion coincides with an institutional shift toward a business-support model. Deus Mubangizi, the acting deputy executive director for compliance, said the agency is moving away from a purely enforcement-driven approach.
“We should be seen as business enablers rather than merely an enforcement agency,” Mubangizi said. “We are handholding businesses to help them understand what to certify, where to certify, and why certification is important for marketability.”
The initiative is supported by TradeMark Africa, which seeks to strengthen Uganda’s quality ecosystem to help small businesses access regional and international markets. Anna Nambooze, the organization’s country director for Uganda and South Sudan, said certification is the primary tool for reducing the rejection of Ugandan goods at international borders.
“If all export products meet quality standards, Uganda will earn more from international markets,” Nambooze said.
Eng. James Kasigwa, the executive director of the bureau, said the new Standards and Metrology Media Initiative will include regional training for journalists to improve reporting on consumer safety and certification. Dr. Ivan Lukanda, a lecturer at Makerere University, added that specialized reporting on these topics is necessary to build public trust and transparency.
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards is the statutory body mandated to develop and enforce national standards to protect public health and ensure fair trade.
