UNBS is seeking to connect standards, certification, accreditation, laboratory testing and traceability into a coordinated national system capable of supporting Ugandan exports.
UGANDA – Uganda is working to strengthen its halal certification system after a Malaysian technical team assessed the country’s existing institutions, standards and certification capacity.
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) said the initiative is intended to establish a coordinated and internationally recognised system for certifying products for domestic and export markets.
Officials from Malaysia’s Halal Development Corporation (HDC) conducted a pre-assessment visit to Uganda from 16 to 21 August 2026. The delegation met government agencies, certification organisations, academic institutions and businesses, including UNBS, Pearl Dairy, the Islamic University in Uganda and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
HDC is a Malaysian government agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. According to the corporation, the visit examined Uganda’s existing certification, standards and industry-development arrangements and identified areas where collaboration could strengthen halal practices and market access.
UNBS subsequently convened government, religious, academic, accreditation and private-sector organisations for a national briefing on the assessment. The Bureau “announced the initiative on 24 August”, saying HDC would provide recommendations on investment, capacity development and the strengthening of domestic certification capabilities.
Uganda already has standards and certification bodies
The initiative is not Uganda’s first entry into halal certification.
UNBS says the country currently has three organisations involved in certification: the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, mainly in slaughter certification; the Uganda Halal Bureau; and the Halal Assurance Institute of Uganda.
The standards body has also established Technical Committee UNBS/TC 411 on Halal Integrity and says Uganda has developed 17 halal standards covering food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related services.
The UNBS catalogue includes adopted OIC/SMIIC standards covering general requirements for halal food, certification and accreditation bodies, food additives, edible gelatine, restaurants and catering establishments, halal quality-management systems and supply-chain transportation.
For example, US OIC/SMIIC 1:2019 sets general requirements across the food chain, while US OIC/SMIIC 2:2019 specifies requirements for bodies providing halal certification. Several of the core standards are currently listed as voluntary.
One Ugandan certifier has already secured important international recognition.
The Uganda Halal Bureau says Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development, JAKIM, recognised it as a foreign halal certification body on 30 December 2025. The recognition is valid until 29 December 2028 and covers food, beverages and raw materials; food premises, hotels and restaurants; and slaughterhouses.
Uganda’s High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has independently confirmed the recognition. Malaysia also maintains an official directory for recognised foreign halal certification bodies.
That recognition provides an important starting point, but it does not mean every Ugandan certification body or certificate is automatically recognised in Malaysia or across other Asian and Gulf markets.
Assessment identifies capacity and coordination gaps
UNBS said the Malaysian assessment identified human-capacity development, public and business awareness, quality infrastructure and government incentives as areas requiring attention.
Ugandan officials also called for a review of the country’s legal framework and clearer governance arrangements for halal production and certification.
These gaps matter because an internationally credible system requires more than a halal mark on a product. It requires recognised standards, competent auditors, accredited certification bodies, reliable laboratories, traceability records and clear separation of institutional responsibilities.
The respective roles of UNBS, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Uganda National Accreditation Services, certification bodies and testing institutions have not yet been set out in a published national framework.
It is also unclear whether UNBS intends to provide halal certification directly or concentrate on standards development, coordination and regulatory oversight while existing bodies continue conducting audits and issuing certificates.
Uganda takes its halal agenda to Malaysia
The export component of the initiative became more visible when Uganda participated in the Malaysia International Halal Showcase, held in Kuala Lumpur from 23 to 26 September 2026.
The delegation included UNBS, the Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotions Authority, the Uganda Halal Bureau and Uganda’s High Commission in Malaysia.
In a “28 September update” (https://x.com/UNBSug/status/2104496881501982817), UNBS said its engagements at MIHAS covered harmonised standards, certification, conformity assessment, traceability and international recognition. The agency also explored partnerships involving agro-processing, livestock and dairy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, hospitality, logistics and laboratory services.
Uganda’s High Commission reported that milk, beef, coffee, spices and honey attracted buyer interest and that orders were placed during the exhibition.
However, the government has not identified the Ugandan companies or buyers involved or disclosed the quantities, values, delivery schedules or contractual status of the reported orders. They should therefore be treated as reported commercial interest rather than confirmed export transactions.
Halal integrity and food safety are related, but not identical
A stronger halal system could reinforce controls over ingredients, animal slaughter, processing, storage, transport, cross-contamination and traceability.
Some of these controls also support food safety and quality assurance. Laboratory testing may, for example, help identify undeclared animal species, alcohol or prohibited ingredients, while traceability can help businesses demonstrate the origin and handling of raw materials.
Halal certification does not, however, replace statutory food-safety controls. A product’s compliance with religious requirements does not remove the need to meet microbiological, chemical, hygiene, labelling and other regulatory requirements.
The credibility of Uganda’s proposed system will consequently depend on how well halal requirements are integrated with existing food-safety regulation, laboratory competence and market-surveillance systems.