Uganda’s maize poses cancer risk: How we sourced and fact-checked our Feb 19 lead story

Our attention has been drawn to concerns about the Sunday splash titled, Uganda’s maize poses cancer risk, say experts. It is on this basis that we hereunder offer detailed explanation on how the story was sourced, fact-checked and processed until publication. 

While still on leave early this month, the Nation Media Group-Uganda Managing Editor Tabu Butagira received a random call on his mobile phone handset from a lady who identified herself as a public relations officer at the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro).

The lady indicated that their line Minister (of Agriculture) Frank Tumwebaze and his Finance counterpart, Mr Matia Kasaija, planned to visit the institution ahead of a future tour by President Museveni.

The Managing Editor conveyed the request to cover the ministers’ visit to the Assignments/News Editor, Mr Yasiin Mugerwa, who detailed Reporter/Photo-journalist Stephen Otage to cover the February 14 event.

The story was angled on findings by the government scientists at Naro of high aflatoxin concentration (100-1000 times higher than World Health Organisation’s threshold) in maize, groundnuts and sorghum produced in Uganda. 

The Director of Research at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), who reported the research findings at the event on February 14, illuminated the cancer exposure risk for consumers of grain contaminated with aflatoxin. This was captured on the record.

In the story we eventually published, we referenced development by the researchers of Aflasafe, a product to reduce aflatoxin, which the scientists said they had not patented/registered and, therefore, not started producing on large scale due to, among others, inadequate financing. Thus, it is still a laboratory product and inaccessible on the market for use by farmers or produce dealers.

The story was edited initially to run on inside pages in the dailies, but revised with expanded reporting for a Weekend splash and this followed elaborate internal processes and verification procedures.

For instance, the Acting Weekends Editor, Ms Angella Nampewo, assigned another Reporter, Ms Beatrice Nakibuuka, to co-report the story. She began her assignment by contacting scientists at Naro to double-check accuracy of quotes and narratives in the original edited copy. All the news makers confirmed the accounts as factual and correct.

Naro scientists had linked aflatoxin in maize, groundnuts and sorghum, which they said was confirmed in their studies in all regions of Uganda producing the grains, to causing particularly liver cancer. As is customary with our journalism and in line with provisions of the Nation Media Group (NMG) Editorial Policy, we believe in and follow the science and scientists.

In addition, the second reporter on the story had in-depth conversation with Prof. Achileo Kaaya of the Department of Food Technology in the School of Food Technology and Bio-engineering, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Makerere University. 

The purpose of this engagement was to gain independent expert insights into the overall implication of grains contaminated with aflatoxin on human health and nutrition.  

Prof Kaaya did confirm and expound on the risk of exposure to cancer posed by consumption of aflatoxin-heavy foods. This explains to you, our esteemed readers, the elaborate process of gathering and counter-checking the information prior to the decision to publish the Sunday lead article.