Betty Nambooze the Mukono Municipality MP.

The implementation of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 hangs in balance again following claims by the Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakirekke, that the minister of health, Ruth Aceng, is avoiding discussions with the legislator on the way forward.

The Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 was tabled last year in Parliament as a private members’ bill fronted by Nambooze who has also claimed that she has been denied leave by Parliament and who instead sent the promoters of the bill to first make consultations that they say will harmonize issues which could face resistance during mentions on the house’s floor.

Nambooze however, says Health Minister, Aceng is unwilling to meet them and make adjustments where necessary.

While speaking to journalists recently at parliament, Nambooze told the media that her bill has much support from the public especially religious institutions and local council authorities but that it’s now being frustrated by the ministers of health and trade.

She also alleged that the minister of trade, Amelia Kyambadde, wants to snatch the bill from the ministry of health so that it’s frustrated in favor of the alcohol manufacturers and sellers.

Nambooze revealed that when parliament resumes, they will plead to the house to grant her leave (permission) and move to another stage of justifying why this bill is needed to be passed in law to regulate the alcohol use.

Jane Ruth Aceng the minister of health

The bill provides regulations to among other issues restrict the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 and will be an offense for a person to purchase an alcoholic drink for another person if he or she knows or has reason to believe is below 18 years of age or to allow an underage person to access premises where alcoholic beverages are stored, sold or consumed.

It proposes a punishment to offenders of 10 years in prison or 20 million shillings.

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Betty Namboze, the Mukono Municipality MP and the brain behind the new proposed Anti- Alcohol Bill 2016.

The ministry of health has agreed to be the lead promoter of the proposed Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 fronted by the Member of Parliament for Mukono Municipality, Betty Nambooze Bakireke.
The principle medical officer in charge of mental health, control of alcohol and drug abuse, Dr.sheila Ndyanabangi says her ministry will lead the promotion of the bill after rejecting the ministry of trade being one of the promoters on basis that it can be compromised since it is more interested in making revenue for the country than people living a healthy life.
Ndyanabangi says that she has talked to MP Nambooze and accepted the ministry’s plea so that the bill is pushed for regulating the manufacturers, advertisement, sell, supply and consumption of alcohol drinks.
She says that the ministry of trade if allowed to be one of the lead promoters of this bill can be compromised by commercial people included in clauses which are not tough against alcohol consumption.

Dr.Ndyanabangi says that she agrees with most of the clauses to the bill, but however, adds that bill should include the age limit from which a youth begins to drink alcohol at 21 years instead of 18 years as proposed in the current bill. She however says she is opportunistic that by 2017, this bill will have been passed by parliament.
The vice chairman of the Uganda Alcohol policy Alliance, David Kalema says that this bill should be drafted in way that captures the civil society organization views.
He says that the Alcoholic drinks control bill should also regulate the week days and public holidays so that alcohol is only consumed from 2pm instead of leaving it open.

The chairperson of the department of Epidemiology and Bio Statistics at  Makerere School of Public Health, Dr.Nazarius Mbone Tumwesigye says that unregulated alcohol drinks has caused accidents by boda boda  riders since  alcohol consumption by Ugandans is more than three times compared to other countries.

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Mukono municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke  is moving a private members bill to regulate Alcoholic drinks. Nambooze is fronting a bill known as the Alcoholic drinks control bill 2016 to repeal the Enguli Act of 1966 which is believed to not be a deterrent because of its weak penalties. She says that she is the right person to front this bill in parliament since she is part of the group taking alcohol, adding that the law is not punitive but designed for prevention and rehabilitation of alcohol abusers.

Nambooze proposes that the sale of alcohol shall be starting at 5pm to midnight on working days to encourage people who may think about taking alcohol to go for work. She says that the bill will regulate advertisement of alcohol including songs promoting taking alcohol, noting that though government gets taxes from alcohol it has not invested these taxes in addressing the effects which come with the abuse of alcohol like accidents, diseases and crimes.

She says that it will be illegal to sale alcohol to persons visibly drunk and there shall be no recovery through suit if a person fails to clear the bills for the alcohol taken and added that in this bill they will insert a section barring leaders from buying alcohol for the people.

The bill seeks to protect children from alcohol since there are many school children taking alcohol. Reports show that Uganda is ranked 8th  among the world’s best drinking nations.

Uganda Alcohol statistics by WHO

Alcohol Statistics

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