Uganda’s drop in the global tobacco industry interference ranking has raised concern among health experts, who are now calling for higher taxes on tobacco products to curb consumption and prevent a rise in tobacco-related illnesses.
The 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index ranks Uganda 10th out of 100 countries, down from 7th in 2023—a decline that highlights gaps in protecting public health policies from tobacco industry influence.
The findings were unveiled on Thursday at the offices of the Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organisation in Bukoto, where stakeholders launched the Uganda Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, a tool designed to expose and counter tactics used by tobacco companies.
Slyveria Aloch said that although Uganda has made progress since ratifying the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2007 and enacting the Tobacco Control Act in 2015, industry interference remains a major threat.
“Industry interference remains the single greatest threat to tobacco control. We must remain vigilant, strengthen accountability, and ensure that public health policies are safeguarded from commercial interests,” Aloch said.
The report gives Uganda a score of 41, pointing to weaknesses in transparency, conflict of interest management, and efforts to curb industry influence.
However, it was the issue of taxation that dominated discussions at the launch, with stakeholders urging government to increase taxes on tobacco products as a key strategy to reduce consumption and protect public health.
UNHCO Executive Director Robinnah Kaitiritimba warned that Uganda risks losing both lives and revenue if urgent measures are not taken.
“We are asking government for two things—we need stronger enforcement of the Tobacco Control Act and an increase in tobacco taxes, which have not been revised for many years,” she said.
Kaitiritimba criticized current tax levels as ineffective.
“Last year we urged Parliament and the Ministry of Finance to increase it to 10 percent, which is negligible and cannot impact consumption. We want the tobacco tax to increase,” she added.
She also raised concern over aggressive marketing tactics targeting vulnerable groups.
“The tobacco industry is very shrewd—they are using women to portray smoking as attractive and targeting young people with flavored e-cigarettes. This is the danger we must address,” she said.
Members of Parliament backed the call for higher taxes, arguing that stronger fiscal measures would both reduce tobacco use and increase government revenue.
Kigulu South MP Milton Muwuma described Uganda’s ranking as a warning sign.
“The rating poses serious challenges—it should be a red flag. Passing laws is one thing, but enforcing them remains a challenge,” Muwuma said.
He called for stronger enforcement and public awareness, noting that tobacco use and promotion remain widespread, particularly in rural areas.
“We must step up enforcement and prioritize the health of Ugandans over revenue from tobacco,” he added.
Bukooli South MP Peter Okeyoh emphasized the need for data-driven policy decisions.
“We should compare the cost of treating cancer and other tobacco-related diseases with the revenue generated from tobacco—you will find treatment costs are far higher,” Okeyoh said.
He argued that significantly higher taxes could act as a deterrent.
“Preventive taxes would help us—even a 50 percent tax on tobacco products would be strong enough to save our population,” he noted.
Civil society actors also warned of growing industry interference, particularly in influencing tax policy.
Advocate Richard Baguma said Uganda is at a critical moment in protecting its young population.
“We are facing a battle for the soul of this nation—the industry is deliberately targeting young people through misinformation, product design, and digital media,” Baguma said.
He dismissed claims that higher taxes would harm the industry.
“Global evidence shows taxation does not kill the industry—it increases government revenue and protects public health,” he said.
Baguma added that tobacco companies continue to interfere in tax policy processes through lobbying and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Stakeholders called for stronger measures, including mandatory disclosure of meetings between public officials and tobacco companies, stricter enforcement of bans on industry-funded activities, and firm resistance to lobbying against tax increases.
They also welcomed a recent move by the National Tobacco Control Committee to sign a conflict of interest declaration, describing it as a step toward greater transparency and accountability.
