{UAH} Uganda: House Motion On Anti-Alcohol Bill Hits Snag

Uganda: House Motion On Anti-Alcohol Bill Hits Snag

 

Photo: Daily Monitor

Anti-alcohol activists want bar operators in urban centres to close by 10pm.

By Isaac Imaka

Kampala — The promoters of the proposed Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill yesterday presented a key motion in Parliament, seeking leave to draft the new law, citing uncontrolled consumption of alcohol as the main cause of poverty, cancer, parents refusing to take children to school and unemployment.

In her half-hour justification on why Parliament should give her an opportunity to present a private member's Bill named the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016, Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze and two other colleagues, said alcohol is the elephant that has held society back and should be regulated.

Before Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah adjourned the consideration of the motion to today, Ms Nambooze had labelled alcohol, "a life-wrecker whose benefits do not match the problems it brings to society and its consumers."

"I agree we get a lot of money from alcohol companies in taxes. But if we calculate how much we are losing in terms of the after-effects, the problem of alcohol outweighs its benefits," she said.

As if to put human rights defenders on notice, she said the Bill does not seek to limit people's rights to drinking and entertainment.

"It is not a matter of curtailing the rights of people but a matter of guiding our society. We should never be shy to lead. It was not a mistake that our predecessors enacted the Enguli Act in 1964. All those laws now need to be updated because things have since changed," she said.

The Nambooze Bill, among other things, aims to consolidate all alcoholic-related laws and set tougher sanctions on alcohol consumption by, among other things, creating national, district, and sub-county licencing and regulation committees.

It provides: "The sale of alcohol shall also not be to persons under the age of 18 and, therefore, an offence for a person to purchase an alcoholic drink for another person 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. The punishment will be 10 years in prison or Shs20m [fine] or both."

The law, however, does not say how the age of prospective alcohol buyers will be verified --- a legendary problem for Uganda --- although it is likely sellers could use the national Identity Cards whose issuance commenced last year.

In most Western countries, any alcohol buyer has to show a driving licence, passport or Identity Card as proof of age.

Ms Nambooze is also more concerned with the advertisements that she says lure young people into drinking.

"These adverts use the most successful sportsmen and the most beautiful musicians to show young people it is fine to drink alcohol," she said, adding that the Bill is aimed at regulating the manufacture, advertisement, sale, supply and consumption of alcohol.

At a past press conference where she announced her intention to move the Bill, Ms Nambooze said, "We want to make it extremely hard for students at higher institutions of learning to access alcohol. So, we want all bars to be outside these institutions and there should be no sale of alcohol in guild canteens because those who don't drink outnumber those who drink."

The debate on whether she should be allowed to bring the Bill, however, hit a snag when a point of procedure was raised against the seconder of the motion, the Luuka MP John Bagoole, over conflict of interest.

In trying to appeal to the members' emotions, Mr Bagoole had told the House that two of his brothers are alcohol addicts but his persuasion hit a wall as West Budama MP questioned whether Mr Bagoole is the right person to second the motion.

Gwokto La'Kitgum

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