Shocking revelations from Fort Portal have sent shockwaves through the nutrition and health sectors as experts at the 4th Annual National Nutrition Symposium lifted the lid on a ticking time bomb lurking in the city’s food markets—poison.
In a deeply unsettling presentation, Eric Oteba, a food safety expert, unveiled findings from a recent study conducted across three of Fort Portal’s busiest markets—Mpanga, Kabundeire, and Kisenyi—that expose the horrifying reality of what residents are consuming daily.
The results? Nothing short of a public health disaster.
Raw meat sold in these markets was found laced with E. coli, with contamination levels soaring as high as 40,000 colony-forming units, when the safe limit is just 100. This strain of bacteria can cause deadly infections, especially in children and the elderly.
But that’s just the beginning.
Groundnut paste—a dietary staple—was found to contain cadmium levels more than 2,000% above the recommended safety threshold. Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal linked to heart disease, kidney failure, and cancer.
Even vegetables weren’t spared. Tomatoes, African eggplants, and cabbage—all widely consumed—tested positive for excessive levels of banned pesticides, some so dangerous they’ve been outlawed in countries where they are manufactured.
“These findings are terrifying,” Oteba declared. “People are unknowingly consuming poison every single day. This is a crisis!”
The study, conducted in collaboration with KRC Uganda and tested in certified government labs, is the first of its kind to comprehensively assess food contamination in Fort Portal. The implications are massive: unsafe food is silently killing the very people it is supposed to nourish.
Calls for urgent government action echoed through the symposium halls. “We must act now,” Oteba urged. “Strengthen food safety laws, inspect markets, train vendors—and most importantly—empower consumers to demand safe food.”
As Fort Portal reels from these revelations, one thing is clear: the food on your plate may be far more dangerous than you think.