Journalists from across Uganda have been equipped with knowledge on the importance of accurate weights and measures in promoting consumer justice and protecting the public from exploitation.
The training was conducted through an online webinar held under the theme, “Role of Weights and Measures in Realizing Consumer Justice and Protection.”
The session was facilitated by Sylvia Kirabo and moderated by Benard Bwambale, attracting journalists from different media houses across the country.
During the webinar, journalists were taken through the importance of accurate measurements in everyday transactions, including the purchase of food, fuel at petrol stations, medicines and laboratory services.
Facilitators warned that tampered weighing scales and poorly calibrated equipment can result in financial losses for consumers and, in some cases, expose them to serious health risks.
Journalists were urged to use their platforms to raise awareness about consumer rights, expose unfair practices and educate the public on how to demand accurate measurements and report cases of exploitation.
Kirabo said journalists have an important role to play in amplifying consumer concerns and holding traders and regulators accountable.
“As journalists, you are the voice of the voiceless consumer. Many consumers are cheated because they don’t know their rights. Your reporting can promote transparency and push for accountability from traders and regulators,” Kirabo said.
The training also highlighted the role of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in enforcing standards governing weights and measures.
However, facilitators emphasized that consumer protection is a shared responsibility involving government agencies, businesses, the media and consumers themselves.
Participants welcomed the training, saying it had exposed them to an important but often overlooked area of consumer protection.
They pledged to incorporate more consumer justice and weights-and-measures stories into their reporting to promote public awareness and accountability across the country.