Security raid fake cement factory, seven arrested

TORORO - A joint security operation on Monday uncovered a cartel involved in production and sale of fake cement. 

The operation resulted in the arrest of seven suspects and recovery of 380 bags of fake cement from semi-permanent storage facilities in Ticaf cell, Osukuru sub-county in Tororo district. 

The Monday sting operation by a team led by the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) came after months of underground surveillance following a wide public outcry over adulterated cement on the market. 

In a statement to the press, the Elgon regional Police crime intelligence officer, Milton Birungi, said the fake cement was being packaged in bags bearing logos of both Tororo and Simba cement factories in Tororo. 

“Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) staff that are part of the operation, fake cement into their labs to scrutinise the filth that the perpetrators have been mixing to cheat people,” he said. 

He declined to divulge identities of the suspects as it would jeopardise investigations. 
“However, at an opportune moment, the suspects shall be arraigned before the courts of law to answer for charges of selling and distributing substandard counterfeit cement,” Birungi said. 

The joint security crackdown comes at a time when buildings under construction in the country have collapsed due to poor-quality cement. 

Preliminary interrogation of suspects revealed that among the key people in the racket are employees of these factories as well as hauliers (drivers) particularly those that transport wet/moist high-grade already mixed cement products to major construction sites such as dams.

Base of the cartel 

Security operatives learnt that the cartel has, over the years, anchored its illegitimate business on an elaborate supply chain infrastructure it has built over time, which comprises a handful of employees inside the factory to help them access a fraction of the critical ingredients used in making cement. 

Others are drivers of high-grade wet/moist cement products for major construction sites such as dams. 

“Over the years, cartels have also identified a unique fine white sand quarry at Isimba, in Njeru, Buikwe district, where the fake raw material is sourced,” a security source explained. 

New Vision has learnt that over the years, the cartel has built a rapport with a handful of employees inside the factory to supply them with cement dust, clinker, possolano rock stones and packing materials.

Cement dust 

Modern cement factories have technology that traps dust that is disposed of in heaps to prevent air pollution. A source said the suspects were collecting this dust to use in concocting the fake cement.

Bategana

Clinker 

 Clinker is one of the critical materials in the manufacture of cement and is mainly shipped in from Kenya and Bangladesh.

Possolano rocks 

Possolano-rock stones are another critical raw material needed in production of cement. It is sourced locally from quarries in Kaserem in Kapchorwa district.

Residents speak out 

Wilbrot Owor, 62, a pensioner, said when he retired, he started constructing his country home in Osukuru, but was reaped off by the fake cement cartel. 

His house collapsed after mild rains and when he investigated, he discovered he had bought and used the fake cement. The house was at ring-beam level. 

“There was a sudden cracking noise that was followed by a loud bang. The construction site was reduced to a yard of rubble in matter of minutes,” he sadly recalls. 

Frantic interrogation from several mansions around would come up to one thing. The problem was the fake cement he used. Juliet Nabukwasi, a 55-year-old resident of Magodesi township in Mollo sub-county, Tororo district, said her house collapsed two weeks after construction, only to discover that the cement used was fake. 

“The next time, I had to personally make my order from the factory authority before I could reconstruct the house,” she sadly remembers. 

Owor and Nabukwasi represent scores of victims who have fallen prey to the illegal lucrative trade by the cartel. 

Tororo resident district commissioner Sadic Bategana said the swoop on unscrupulous cement producers and suppliers was timely. 

“Many of construction sites across the country have turned into death traps because of fake cement. People have lost a lot of money as a result. This must stop,” he observed.

How cartel operates 

According to security sources, the ingredient in the manufacture of fake cement has always been fine white sand from Isimba sand quarry. “When cartel receive supplies of cement dust/clinker/possolano rock, it’s mixed with sand obtained from Isimba sand quarry. 

The mixture is then heated considerably in rudimentary furnace facilities, made out of mud and wattle, where the mixture crumbles into powdered form. 

When the powdered has cooled down, it’s then packed in smuggled packing materials and distributed to marketplaces across the country,” the source said. 

The source said cement factory drivers were playing a central role in the cartel.

“When the trucks that ferry high-grade wet/ moist cement mixture have delivered the consignment to a client, the reminder was always removed from the truck’s tank. 

“What remains in the truck tank is considerably concentrated and measures about 20kg per truck. These 20kg are mixed with 500kg of white sand from Isimba and heated using firewood for hours. The heating normally changes the mixture to melt into a powder and when it has cooled down, its packed and sold,” the source added.