KAMPALA, UGANDA: Local Government Minister, Hon Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, has directed bars, Malwa joints and other alcohol-selling establishments across the country to open after 3:00 p.m. on working days.
“Bars, Malwa joints and other alcohol-selling establishments should not open before 3:00 p.m. on working days, subject to applicable national laws, licensing requirements and lawful local government regulations,” the Minister said in a statement issued Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The directive is part of a wider set of measures issued to LC5 chairpersons, city mayors, division mayors and council speakers to strengthen community productivity, public accountability and regulation of alcohol and betting operations.
Hon Balaam said, “local leaders should take the lead in discouraging early-morning alcohol consumption and work with security agencies and enforcement teams to ensure that bars and alcohol outlets do not operate in a manner that encourages people to spend their mornings drinking instead of working.”
The measure, according to the minister, is intended to address what the ministry described as idleness, family problems and rising crime associated with excessive alcohol consumption, while promoting a productive and responsible population.
He further directed that “bars and alcohol outlets that repeatedly defy lawful operating-hour directives should be closed, and appropriate enforcement action should be taken against persistent offenders in accordance with the law.”
Underage drinking targeted
The directive also places renewed emphasis on protecting children from alcohol.
“Bar owners, shop owners and operators of Malwa joints or other alcohol-selling establishments who sell or supply alcohol to persons under 18 years of age should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” Balaam further noted.
“Local authorities and security agencies should strictly enforce this requirement, and establishments found repeatedly violating the law should face appropriate sanctions,” he added.
The ministry has also directed local governments to regulate the operating hours of betting companies within their jurisdictions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The move, he says, is intended to protect communities, particularly young people, from harmful practices associated with excessive betting.
The directives require joint security teams, council enforcement officers and other relevant authorities to support local governments in implementation and enforcement.
Local government leaders have also been directed to take personal responsibility for ensuring compliance and to report challenges encountered during implementation through the appropriate channels.
The minister said the measures are part of efforts to put the interests of citizens first, protect children, encourage productivity and restore discipline in communities.
In other broader measures issued by the ministry, Balaam directed that local councils should henceforth allow members of the press access to council sittings, similar to media access to parliamentary proceedings, to promote transparency and public awareness.
He also ordered councils to display approved budgets on their main council notice boards and other accessible public notice boards to enable residents to know what has been allocated to their communities and follow up on implementation.
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