Public Calls for Death or Life Imprisonment for Counterfeit Offenders During Bill Consultations

Soroti West MP Jonathan Ebwalu has addressed concerns about the delay in presenting the Anti Counterfeit Goods and Services Bill, 2023, to Parliament. He denied claims that the process has taken too long, explaining that the team has been conducting consultations with the public.

“We have been gathering opinions from people across the country, and we have not delayed the Bill. The public strongly supports it, and due to this overwhelming demand, we will hold a public exhibition at Parliament on October 16, 2024,” Ebwalu stated.

Fred Muwema, the Chairman of the Anti-Counterfeit Network, added that during the consultations, some Ugandans asked for harsher punishments for those producing counterfeit goods. They proposed penalties as severe as life imprisonment or death, arguing that counterfeit products, especially harmful ones, pose serious health risks.

The update came as part of ongoing efforts to enact the Bill, which was introduced by Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, who was given leave to table the Private Member’s Bill in July 2023.