article · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
Heavy episodic drinking in Uganda has been linked to the wide availability and low cost of alcohol sachets. To protect public health, Gulu district introduced a local prohibition in 2016, which subsequently served as the template for a nationwide ban in 2019. An analysis of seventeen stakeholder interviews across government and civil society, paired with eleven policy documents, tracked this policy transfer. The transition to national law required parliamentary debate and the resolution of inter-ministerial disagreements. In both local and national jurisdictions, execution relied on multi-sectoral taskforces and the seizure of goods, successfully removing alcohol sachets from retail circulation. Although these bans eliminated sachets from the market, formal evaluations of their public health outcomes have not yet taken place. The process highlights the role local authorities in decentralised systems can play in driving national health protections.
Alcohol-related harm represents a major public health issue across Africa, where national regulation often stalls. Understanding how a local municipal ban successfully scaled into national law offers valuable lessons for public administration. It shows how local leaders in decentralised governance structures can initiate effective health interventions and influence wider national policy.
The abstract outlines public policy analysis rather than a commercial product or service. Its primary application lies in public health administration, regulatory design, and local government strategy. The evidence is applied and tested in the context of Ugandan governance, offering immediate practical insights for public sector decision-makers and non-governmental organisations seeking to design and enforce substance regulations.
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Background High rates of heavy episodic drinking in Uganda have been linked to alcohol sachets due to their affordability and widespread availability. The Gulu district enacted a local sachet ban in 2016 which transferred to a national ban in 2019 to protect population health. This paper examines this transfer.Methods Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with government representatives, NGOs, and civil society members at district and national levels, alongside a review of eleven key policy documents. Data were thematically analyzed. We applied Jensen et al’s framework.Results For both bans, the rationale was to reduce alcohol availability and harms. The local ban inspired the national ban which was enacted following further parliamentary discussions, and the resolution of ministerial disagreements. Implementation involved a multi-sectoral taskforce, and goods seizures in both cases. Those bans successfully withdrew sachets from the market but have not been evaluated.Conclusion In a context of limited progress on national alcohol policy implementation across the continent, this study of a local to national alcohol policy transfer in Africa offers valuable learning. It shows how local governments in decentralized systems can advocate for strong alcohol regulation and should be recognized as partners in upstream policymaking. Future evaluation is needed to assess the long-term effectiveness and public health impact of the policy.
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DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2026.2719655
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