Sec
urity authorities in Lira City and neighbouring Kole District have arrested four people accused of producing and selling locally made alcohol known as Ozima using a suspected toxic chemical.
In Lira City, two suspects, a man and a woman whose identities have been withheld to avoid jeopardising investigations, were arrested at Jinja Camp in Lira City West Division during an operation led by Lira Resident City Commissioner Lawrence Egole.
The suspects were allegedly found in possession of 140 litres of the chemical, more than 20 drums containing the substance mixed with water and ready for packaging, as well as more than 200 jerrycans of the alleged alcohol prepared for distribution.
Preliminary information obtained by security authorities indicates that the chemical is mixed with large quantities of water before being packaged and sold as alcohol to unsuspecting consumers. The alleged brew is reportedly supplied to traders in the Lango, Acholi and Karamoja sub-regions.
Egole said the operation followed media reports and complaints from members of the public linking consumption of the suspected brew to increasing cases of cancer, kidney complications and mental health problems, particularly among young people in Lango.
Egole said the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) had been notified and would test the substance to establish whether it is safe for human consumption.
He said preliminary investigations suggest that the chemical is transported into Lango from different parts of the country, including Gulu, Masindi and Hoima. Egole said the scale of the suspected trade indicates that those involved are investing heavily in the business.
“The receipt I saw from this man we have arrested indicates that he paid about 37 million Shillings for what we impounded. This shows they are investing a lot of money, meaning they are also making a lot of money from it,” Egole said.
He added that security authorities would widen the operation to identify the alleged suppliers and other people involved in the trade. In neighbouring Kole District, police have separately arrested two women found in possession of the same chemical and the alleged alcohol during an operation in Awelo Village, Akalo Sub-county.
The suspects, Doris Arao and Dorcus Auma, were arrested during an operation involving police, local leaders and residents following complaints over the alleged production and sale of the brew. Arao is reportedly the sister-in-law of Kassim Alele, whom residents accuse of supplying the chemical and coordinating its use in producing the alleged alcohol.
George Opido, the Awelo Village LC1 chairperson, said the brew was being produced and sold from three households occupied by tenants who had allegedly failed to register with local authorities. He said Alele and members of his family had fled the area by the time the operation was conducted, leaving their houses locked.
According to Opido, Alele and his associates had previously been ordered to leave the village over the alleged sale of the brew but returned illegally this year.
Opido said residents had resolved to have the group permanently barred from the village and that landlords had been notified.
Joe Rila Odinga, the Akalo Sub-county LC3 chairperson, said the operation followed numerous complaints from residents, particularly young people who were allegedly consuming the brew in large quantities. He said some recent deaths in the community had been linked by residents to consumption of the suspected alcohol.
According to residents, some of the victims developed swollen stomachs and limbs, jaundice and general body weakness before their deaths.
Odinga urged residents, particularly young people, to avoid consuming locally produced alcohol whose safety has not been established by UNBS.
Residents have also reported cases of body swelling, increased appetite and sexual dysfunction among some consumers. However, these claims have not been medically established. The residents welcomed the crackdown and called for thorough investigations, warning that delays in prosecuting the suspects could allow them and their alleged suppliers to resume the trade-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
