A new chapter for Uganda’s industrial and pharmaceutical landscape began in Busoga this week as H.E. President Yoweri Museveni commissioned the US$50 million (Shs182 billion) DEI BioPharma Starch Processing Factory in Busambu–Namasagali.
This facility is the first phase of a massive biotechnology vision led by Dr. Matthias Magoola, the Managing Director of Dei BioPharma, which promises to fundamentally shift Uganda’s reliance on imports and transform farmer incomes.
The commissioning ceremony, which was also graced by the First Lady H.E. Janet Museveni, celebrated the factory not just as a plant, but as the foundation of a new ecosystem encompassing biotechnology, agriculture, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Ending Africa’s Import Dependence
Dr. Magoola highlighted the critical problem the factory is designed to solve, noting, “Africa imports 85% of its medicines and almost 99% of the ingredients needed to make them, including basic excipients like starch.”
“For years, this dependence has kept our medicines expensive, our manufacturers uncompetitive, and our farmers disconnected from global value chains,” he added.
The DEI BioPharma facility tackles this vulnerability directly by producing:
Pharmaceutical-grade starch, glucose, and maltose which is essential excipients for the pharmaceutical industry.
Inputs derived 100% from Ugandan cassava, maize, and potato.
Over 10 by-products essential for the pharmaceutical and food industries.
By producing these Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and excipients domestically, Dr. Magoola is confident that Uganda and Africa can finally compete with prices coming from India and China, thereby strengthening local supply chains and reducing manufacturing costs. This is a critical step toward reducing Uganda’s current 98% reliance on imported pharmaceutical ingredients.
Presidential Endorsement for Innovation
President Museveni applauded Dr. Magoola’s innovation and revealed his personal support for his pharmaceutical formulations, including a malaria treatment he has been developing.
The President used the occasion to issue a strong challenge to the nation, saying, “I don’t know why Africans don’t like innovation… Africans like to criticise. Congratulations, Magoola, forgive those disturbing you. That’s how I started fighting, and people thought I was mad.”
He urged Ugandans to actively back innovators instead of hindering them, emphasising that the commissioning is proof that when innovation, leadership, and conviction meet, entire nations rise.
Transforming Agriculture and Farmer Wealth
According to Dr. Magoola, the factory’s economic impact begins at the farm gate, providing a massive, guaranteed market for staple crops through:
Daily Consumption
The starch plant is designed to consume at least 5,000 MT of cassava daily, creating a major new market for farmers across Busoga, Bukedi, Lango, and Teso.
Income Multiplier
Both President Museveni and Dr. Magoola noted that cassava, when grown commercially, can yield farmers three times the income of sugarcane on the same acreage, a massive boost for farmers currently dependent on sugarcane monoculture in Busoga.
Dr. Magoola affirmed this commitment by stating that the company has already invested US$50 million in the plant and farms over 1,000 acres of cassava itself, setting a powerful example for commercial farming.
The US$10 Billion Integrated Vision
Dr. Magoola revealed that the starch plant is only Phase One of a much larger, US$10 billion (Shs394 billion) integrated biotechnology hub. This visionary project includes plans for a sickle cell and cancer hospital and a vaccine manufacturing complex.
This bold vision aims to build a new industrial future where Uganda can manufacture, certify, and export products that meet stringent global standards (USFDA and EMA), cementing Uganda’s role as a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing powerhouse.
“Africa has the raw materials. Africa has the talent. Now Africa is building the capacity,” Dr. Magoola stressed.