Sheilah Gashumba trashes Lato Milk over Nido Milk quality

KAMPALA — Popular Ugandan media personality, socialite, and corporate influencer Sheilah Gashumba has touched off a fiery national debate on consumer rights versus economic patriotism after publicly criticizing Pearl Dairy’s flagship brand, Lato Milk, in favor of imported milk powder brand Nestlé Nido.

In a series of posts published on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, 26th July 2026, Gashumba stirred controversy by asserting that Nido was intentionally “kicked out of Uganda” to eliminate foreign competition and grant domestic market dominance to local processors like Pearl Dairy. Her comments sparked immediate backlash across social media, pitting champions of the government’s Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) policy against consumers demanding uncompromised product quality.

What did Sheilah Gashumba say about Lato Milk and Nestlé Nido?

Sheilah Gashumba publicly declared that Nestlé’s Nido remains far superior in quality to Pearl Dairy’s locally produced Lato Milk, alleging that Nido was unfairly pushed out of Ugandan retail stores to protect local producers.

The online clash began after an X user, @kerriberri_22, posted a celebratory message applauding Ugandans for embracing local dairy over foreign alternatives, writing:

“I am so proud of Ugandans for consuming Lato over Nido and eventually knocking it off Ugandan supermarket shelves.”

Gashumba directly countered the statement, posting:

“In my opinion, Nido is still by far better than Lato!”

When another user, @Charzo_12, cautioned her that the discussion was meant to celebrate Ugandan economic self-reliance rather than a taste comparison, Gashumba doubled down, insisting that personal finance and consumer choice trump local patriotism.

“Quality over ANYTHING!” Gashumba wrote. “Not gonna buy mediocre just because it’s Ugandan cause the last time I checked I ain’t getting any Uganda product for free so if I’m spending my own money it’s about quality! I guess we are all entitled to our own opinions mostly when we are paying for products!! Nido can’t be compared to Lato but Lato is trying!”

She went on to allege unfair market protectionism, stating:

“For those who don’t know Nido was kicked out of Uganda btw now I have to fully stock Nido from my trips to Southafrica!! U don’t have to kick out another product for u to shine, Lato! Come onnnnnnn!”

Was Nestlé Nido actually kicked out of Uganda to promote local dairy?

Nestlé Nido was not officially banned by regulatory authorities, but its dominance on supermarket shelves diminished significantly over the years due to high import tariffs on foreign dairy products and the massive expansion of local processing capacity by Pearl Dairy Farms Limited in Mbarara.

Under Uganda’s Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) policy framework, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the Ministry of Trade have actively encouraged local dairy processing to reduce reliance on imported powdered milk. Pearl Dairy’s state-of-the-art spray drying facility in Biharwe, Mbarara, allowed Lato Milk to supply instant full cream milk powder locally at significantly lower prices than imported European or South African processed brands like Nido.

Combined with import duties designed to protect domestic dairy farmers, high logistics costs, and shifting consumer budgets, foreign importers scaled down bulk supply of Nido to mainstream Ugandan supermarket chains, leaving local brands like Lato to capture the majority market share.

How did Ugandans react to Sheilah Gashumba’s comments on local products?

The reaction from Ugandan netizens was swift and sharply divided, highlighting a growing tension between national economic patriotism and consumer expectations.

Critics of Gashumba accused her of undermining national development and failing to appreciate the economic value of supporting local industries that employ thousands of Ugandan dairy farmers:

• Netizen @Charzo_12 responded: “You didn’t get the tweet. It wasn’t about which of the two is better. It was about Ugandans supporting Ugandan products.”
• User @Katusiime_Caroline noted: “Ohh so Nido was kicked out of Uganda so that Lato can shine? Eehh.”
• User @Danham_256 remarked: “Has she ever gotten anything?”

However, several social media users jumped to Gashumba’s defense, supporting her argument that paying consumers have the right to demand high-quality products regardless of where they are manufactured:

• User @samson_kal concurred: “Nido is still better, I also pack it where I go and even bring in a few when I’m coming back to Kampala.”

What is the stance of Pearl Dairy and Ugandan policy on domestic manufacturing?

Pearl Dairy Farms Limited, the manufacturer of Lato Milk, operates one of the largest milk processing plants in East Africa with a daily processing capacity exceeding 500,000 liters of fresh milk collected directly from local cattle farmers in the Western Region.

While Pearl Dairy has not issued a formal statement in response to Gashumba’s personal critique, the company has consistently maintained that its local instant milk powder meets strict global quality and safety standards. Through aggressive regional expansion into Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the UAE, Pearl Dairy has established itself as an export flagship for Uganda’s agricultural sector.

Gashumba’s viral post, however, underscores an ongoing challenge for Ugandan corporate brands: convincing high-end urban consumers that locally manufactured goods can match the refined standards of established multinational giants.