Uganda Baati, one of the leading manufacturer of building materials, has sounded the alarm over the influx of counterfeit products from China, which are hurting their brand and affecting the quality of construction projects in Uganda.
According to Ian Rumanyika, the head of corporate affairs at Uganda Baati, counterfeiters are targeting highly selling product lines, making it difficult for end-users to distinguish between genuine and fake products.
“The construction sector is very fragile, and counterfeits and substandard products have flooded the market, affecting genuine ones,” Rumanyika said.
Uganda Baati recently launched a new product, Lifestyle, a stone-coated roofing tile, but soon discovered that counterfeit versions were being imported from China.
The company is calling for awareness and education to combat counterfeit products, which are not only hurting their brand but also compromising the quality of construction projects.
“We need to inform and create awareness and educate suppliers and customers on the importance of having quality products for purposes of building the economy on a strong foundation,” Rumanyika said.
Uganda Baati has since partnered with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and the Uganda Manufacturers Association to advocate for standards and fight against counterfeit products.
“The construction sector is very fragile, and counterfeits and substandard products have flooded the market, affecting genuine ones,” Rumanyika said. “For example, in the steel sector, it is very difficult for the end user to actually tell what is standard and what is not. In the hollow section, the regional standard is one millimeter but some sell products below this standard but most consumers won’t differentiate.”
Rumanyika explained that while some of the counterfeits and substandard products are locally manufactured, many are coming from as far as China and flooding the Ugandan market.
Macklean Kukundakwe, the head of marketing at Uganda Baati, added that the company is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, with a focus on building Uganda together.
“The celebrations are broken into four themes where we celebrate Uganda Baati in the past, Uganda Baati in the community, Uganda Baati in the present, and Uganda Baati in the future,” Kukundakwe said.
As the company celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is emphasizing the importance of quality products and urging consumers to look out for standard products to get value for their money.
