Experts have raised fresh alarm over the continued use of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) in Uganda, warning that the chemicals pose grave risks to human health, the environment, and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
They are urging the government to take immediate steps to ban their importation and circulation.
HHPs have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, endocrine disruption, and DNA mutations. According to environmental specialists, their effects extend beyond individual farms, threatening food safety, water systems, and long-term soil productivity.
Mr Leonard Otika, the Lira City environment officer, said pesticides are widely used to protect crops, but their prolonged or improper application harms the very ecosystems that sustain agriculture. ‘These chemicals help farmers maintain plant health, but they come with serious side effects,’ he said in an interview on November 18. He added that excessive use of these pesticides degrades soil by killing organisms responsible for soil formation and structure, eventually leading to infertility.
He said pesticides washed away by rain water contaminate streams and wetlands.
‘The runoff flows into our water bodies, affecting aquatic life and human health, because we depend on this water for domestic and commercial use,’ he said.
Mr Otika explained that the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is responsible for regulating which pesticides can be imported and sold. Horticultural produce such as tomatoes and cabbage is routinely tested in government-certified laboratories to determine whether chemical residues present health risks.
‘UNBS reports guide the public and policymakers on what is acceptable,’ he said.
He warned that farmers who frequently grow crops such as onions face increased danger if they fail to use personal protective equipment. Kole District agricultural officer Maclean Otim said pesticide residues in food are contributing to rising cases of cancer.
While pesticides may support short-term plant growth, he said they damage soil, cause erosion, and kill organisms essential for fertility. ‘Earthworms and termites are wiped out, leaving the soil barren,’ he said.
Public health specialist Dr James Awanyo said exposure occurs through food, water, occupational contact, and proximity to farms using pesticides. Short-term exposure can trigger nausea, dizziness, skin rashes, and abdominal pain.
‘Acute poisoning can become a medical emergency,’ he said. According to the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Association, Africa has increasingly become a destination for more than 200 pesticides banned in the European Union.
Nutritionist Dr Bernard Bwambale previously warned that toxic pesticides are fuelling cancer, infertility, and miscarriages. He urged the Ministry of Agriculture to intensify farmer training and promote sustainable, eco-friendly farming.