Civil Society Capture in Action: How Uganda Red Cross Became a Pawn in Big Alcohol’s Game
Posted on April 10, 2025 in Diageo, Deception, Manipulation, UgandaUganda Breweries Limited (UBL), a subsidiary of global alcohol giant Diageo, has launched a new campaign called Eyo Red Card, claiming to promote “responsible drinking” and road safety. Behind the polished branding and PR-friendly soundbites lies a troubling story of corporate interference, civil society capture, and deliberate distraction from the real drivers of alcohol harm in Uganda.
“Responsible drinking” is industry spin. It’s a phrase designed to shift blame away from alcohol producers and onto the people harmed by their products. Uganda Breweries and its parent company Diageo use it to appear concerned, while continuing to aggressively market alcohol, expand access, and normalize alcohol use. It’s a distraction that hides their role in driving Uganda’s dangerously high levels of alcohol harm.
According to the WHO, Ugandans consume an average of 12.21 liters of pure alcohol per capita – nearly double the African regional average. This is not a country that needs softer messaging about “pacing yourself.” Uganda needs policy change – and an end to industry interference in public health.
UBL has enlisted the Uganda Red Cross Society to help launch and promote the initiative. Having one of the country’s most trusted humanitarian organizations stand beside a major alcohol producer sends a dangerous signal. Instead of holding harmful industries accountable, the Red Cross is now helping sanitize their image. This is what civil society capture looks like: when public interest institutions lend credibility to corporate PR campaigns that directly undermine their own missions.
According to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, its core purpose is to “protect life and health,” to “prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it may be found,” and to uphold neutrality, impartiality, and independence at all times. These are not optional values – they are binding principles that all national Red Cross societies are required to follow. Alcohol is a leading driver of road traffic injuries, gender-based violence, HIV transmission, and non-communicable diseases in Uganda. By endorsing UBL’s campaign, the Red Cross is not preventing suffering – it is helping obscure the commercial causes behind it.
By framing alcohol harm as a matter of personal choice, Eyo Red Card protects Diageo’s business model while sidestepping the structural issues that drive high-risk alcohol use – relentless alcohol marketing, political interference and the lack of effective alcohol policy measures.
Manipulation is Big Alcohol’s activity to control its image. The alcohol industry engages in manipulation activities to protect and cultivate their image and the values of their brands. Deploying manipulation strategies serves for Big Alcohol to appear as “good corporate citizens”. The focus of the DUBIOUS FIVE strategy of manipulation is the alcohol company, their brands and value. Examples are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), green-washing, pink-washing, rainbow-washing, or white-washing activities.