The government has closed several roadside weighbridges in Masindi district after investigations found they had become the main conduits for large-scale sugarcane theft.
Officials say the move follows a joint probe by police and the ministry of Internal Affairs, which confirmed that stolen cane was routinely channelled through the weighbridges, weighed, and sold into the formal supply chain as if it were legitimate produce.
“We took action in compliance with a ministerial directive issued last year,” Trade commissioner David Kiiza said on Friday.
“All weighbridges that were facilitating theft have now been removed.”
According to investigators, organized theft rings targeted mature cane in both company estates and outgrower farms, particularly at night. The stolen cane was then transported to roadside weighbridges, where it was documented and sold, effectively laundering it into the legal market.
The scale of the problem was highlighted after police recently recovered 24 tonnes of sugarcane diverted from Kinyara Sugar Ltd’s Kingo No. 6 field in Masindi. The consignment had been loaded onto contractor truck UBA 886R/KCV-456 but never reached the factory.
Kinyara’s public relations officer, Francis Mugerwa, said the theft was detected when the same driver returned the following morning seeking another loading docket.
“Our team discovered the truck never reached the factory. Security intervened, but the driver fled. We arrested two loaders who led us to the weighbridge,” Mugerwa said.
Police confirmed the recovered cane weighed 24 tonnes and matched the missing consignment.
“The case is under police investigations and efforts are underway to ensure that the prime suspect is arrested and prosecuted,” said ASP Joseph Karwani, Masindi district CID officer.
Officials say the investigation established that some weighbridges had become key transaction points for illegal cane trade, costing farmers, millers, and government billions of shillings in lost revenue. Uganda’s sugar industry contributes an estimated 5–7 per cent of GDP, generates between Shs 350 billion and Shs 550 billion in annual taxes, and supports more than 135,000 jobs.
Kinyara Sugar Ltd alone employs over 7,000 workers and works with thousands of outgrowers in the region. Authorities say the closure of rogue weighbridges is part of wider efforts to restore order in the sugar value chain and protect farmers from organized theft networks.
They have warned that any facility found aiding illegal cane trade will face permanent closure and possible criminal sanctions.
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