A National Petition for Evidence-Based Front-of-Pack Warning Labels Reaches Local Communities in Busoga and Bunyoro

CEFROHT and the Uganda National Food Policy Coalition are taking the call for mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labelling (FOPWL) to communities across Uganda through a national citizens’ petition calling on the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and Cabinet to enact regulations requiring mandatory clear warning labels on foods and beverages high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. The campaign is being implemented across four regions and 24 local governments, with the first two campaigns happening in Busoga and Bunyoro now completed.

The campaign began in Busoga during the rescheduled Parliamentary Nutrition Week, held from 22 to 26 June 2026. Radio played an important role in taking the campaign beyond the communities reached physically. Talk shows on Smart FM, NBS Radio, Pallisa FM, R FM, Elgon and FM provided platforms to discuss Uganda’s growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases and the increasing availability and consumption of foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. The programmes also helped audiences understand the role of front of pack warning labels in identifying products with excessive levels of nutrients of concern. Members of the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security and local leaders participated in the discussions, strengthening the call for citizens to add their voices to the petition.

The campaign then moved into communities across Jinja, Iganga, Mbale, Kibuku and Pallisa Districts, where signatures were collected from community members, learners, teachers, school administrators and local leaders. Policy dialogues with Members of Parliament and local government leaders provided an opportunity to connect the petition to Uganda’s broader legal and policy framework, including the Public Health (Amendment) Act, 2023, which provides the legal foundation for the proposed regulation. Members of Parliament, the Jinja City Mayor and local government leaders also supported mobilisation and endorsed the call for stronger government action on FOPWL.

From 10 to 27 July 2026, the petition drive continued in the Bunyoro sub-region, reaching Hoima, Masindi, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibaale, Buliisa and Kiryandongo Districts. Radio again proved to be an important tool for reaching communities across the wider region, with talk shows on Radio Hoima, Kabalega FM and Radio Kitara providing platforms to explain the purpose of FOPWL and encourage listeners to participate in the petition, including through the online signing mechanism.

The scale and geographical spread of Bunyoro required stronger collaboration with district local governments. District authorities mobilised communities ahead of the CEFROHT and Coalition teams’ visits and supported signature collection at the local level. Importantly, local government leaders in Bunyoro have now begun pursuing their own independent petition in support of FOPWL, building on the mobilisation and leadership demonstrated by local governments in Busoga.

For food policy coalition, the petition is about amplifying citizens’ voices in decisions that affect their right to adequate food and right to health. Consumers should be able to understand what they are buying without needing technical knowledge to interpret complicated nutrition information. Clear warning labels can provide simple, visible information at the point of purchase and help consumers identify products that are high in nutrients of concern.

The campaign also recognises that individual choice is shaped by the food environment. People cannot fully exercise their right to health when unhealthy products are widely available, heavily marketed and difficult to distinguish from healthier alternatives. This is why CEFROHT is advocating for policy and regulatory measures that make healthier choices easier while protecting children and communities from unhealthy food environments.

CEFROHT is encouraged by the growing response from communities, local leaders, Parliamentarians and the media. The willingness of local governments to mobilise their communities and, in Bunyoro, to initiate their own petition demonstrates that the demand for stronger food policies is not limited to Kampala. It is a national concern that requires national action.

The signatures, photographs and testimonies gathered across Busoga and Bunyoro will contribute to the national petition and CEFROHT’s wider research on unhealthy food environments. As the campaign moves into the remaining regions and local governments, each signature adds to a growing public call for government to enact mandatory FOPWL and take meaningful steps to protect the health and rights of Ugandans.

CEFROHT believes that every Ugandan has a right to know what is in the food they buy, and the government has a responsibility to create a food environment that protects that right.