The Inter-religious Council of Uganda has rejected some of the penalties stipulated in the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2023 and suggested that the ban on the sale of alcohol in public vehicles be extended to private cars.

According to Joseph Sserwada, the Co-Chair of the IRCU, instead of limiting the ban to only officers in the security forces, the ban should be extended to civil servants, people already intoxicated, and pregnant women.

The Council made these remarks on March 7, 2024, at the IRCU offices in Rubaga, in response to the ongoing discussion in parliament on the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2023.

“The IRCU is of the view that alcohol sales and drinking should be restricted to both cargo and private vehicles, and there is a need to license vehicles for the purpose of distributing, transporting, and selling alcohol,” Sserwada said.

The council proposed that, for the purpose of distributing, transporting, and selling alcohol, the government should provide licenses for special vehicles to engage in carrying out these activities.

IRCU pointed out that the penalties seem to be more punitive than corrective in nature, especially with respect to the time of imprisonment and the fines proposed.

They recommended the introduction of corrective and reformatory measures to allow reformation, rehabilitation, retribution, deterrence, restitution, and mandatory awareness, as well as socio-economic empowerment programmes to reduce alcoholic consumption and abuse.

The object of the bill is to regulate the manufacture, importation, sale, consumption, and advertisement of alcoholic drinks; to prohibit the sale of alcoholic drinks to persons below eighteen years of age; to amend the Industrial Licensing Act, Cap. 91; to repeal the Potable Spirits Act, Cap. 97; and for related matters.

However, IRCU noted that Clause 20 of the bill restricts the sale of alcohol to law enforcement officers in uniform and leaves out others like pregnant women and civil servants, among others.