Mbale City is in the process of coming up of a new law, the Urban Agriculture and Food Safety Ordinance, 2025. This initiative seeks to regulate the entire food supply chain, from the garden to the consumer’s table, in response to growing concerns over unregulated food vendors and unsafe practices.
The effort is being championed by Foods rights alliance and other stake holders like CONSENT Uganda in collaboration with Mbale city council.
The proposed ordinance was the central topic of a two-day stakeholders’ meeting this week, held at the Mbale Courts View Hotel, the gathering brought together a wide array of participants, including food handlers, political leaders, religious leaders, butchers, and policy experts.
Namubiru Halima, the Principal Agricultural Officer of Mbale City says the collective goal is to ensure that food produced, particularly through urban agriculture, is safe for consumption and retains its nutritional value throughout the food chain.
A key element of the proposed ordinance is the profiling and licensing of all farmers and food vendors. Without a license, vendors and farmers will not be allowed to operate, directly tackling the issue of unregulated sellers who market potentially unhealthy products to consumers.
Wepukhulu Juma, an urban farmer from Namakwekwe ward running a demonstration farm highlighted the poor handling of food products, particularly meat, where animals are often subjected to poor feeding and mishandling during transportation.
He also noted the issue of un-safe milk and vendors selling spoilt food. The new laws, he believes, will regulate animal handling and ensure the safety of milk before it hits the market.
The law is ultimately intended to protect Mbale City consumers who have been consuming foods from unregulated sources, ensuring that only quality, safe foods are permitted in the city.
