The Government of Uganda has launched an aggressive, multi-agency media campaign to combat the pervasive problem of drug theft, which is costing the nation billions of shillings and, more critically, human lives.
Led by the National Medical Stores (NMS), the initiative, announced today at the Uganda Media Center (UMC), brings together the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Police Force, and the Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) to rally citizens and push for dramatically stiffer legal penalties against offenders.
Speaking at the launch of the one-month-long campaign, the NMS General Manager, Mr. Moses Kamabare, said: “Currently, when someone steals medicines worth Shs200 million, they can walk away with a fine of about Shs5 million. That is far too lenient. We recommend that whoever is found culpable pay three times the value of the commodities they are caught with. If someone is caught with goods worth Shs1 billion, they should pay Shs3 billion. That is how we deter offenders.”
“It reinforces accountability, prevention, and the principle that government medicines fully paid for with taxpayers’ money must never be sold under any circumstances,” Kamabare added.
He revealed that NMS is also urging Parliament to pass legislation that would require convicted thieves to pay a fine three times the value of the stolen commodities.
Kamabare powerfully framed drug theft not merely as an economic crime, but as a direct threat to public health: “Medicines are not just government assets that cost money; when stolen, they cost lives. No Ugandan should die because the drugs meant to save them were taken away,” he stressed.
Scale of the Loss and Commitment to Enforcement
The Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) provided a glimpse into the scale of the financial loss and suffering.
Dr. Warren Namara, Head of the HMU, revealed that in the past two years alone, his unit has recovered medicines and equipment worth over Shs1.5 billion.
He noted that “countless patients have suffered because drugs meant to save them were stolen,” emphasising that population health is a “strategic resource.”
The HMU urged the media to pursue investigative reporting and called on the public to use their hotline 0800200447 to report suspicious activities.
In a show of firm resolve, Uganda Police Force Spokesperson, ACP Rusoke Kituuma, pledged tough action, warning that, “Anyone who dares steal our medicines will be treated as a threat to national security and dealt with firmly.” He also assured protection for whistleblowers, encouraging citizens to step forward.
Transparency, Technology, and Legal Reform
The NMS demonstrated its commitment to accountability through transparency and technology by using the following advanced methods:
GPS Tracking
Kamabare revealed that every NMS delivery truck is fitted with a GPS tracker, allowing the agency to monitor its movement and stops in real-time.
Citizen Oversight
He emphasised that dispatch and delivery alerts are sent to stakeholders, allowing them to verify consignments, which are accompanied by stamped and signed delivery notes in real time.
Furthermore, the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Charles Olaro, pointed to systemic reforms that the government is rolling out to curb the vice.
He divulged that the forthcoming National Drug and Health Products Authority Bill is expected to be a “game-changer,” introducing strict penalties and special provisions for those entrusted with government medicines.
He also revealed that the government is pushing hospitals to strengthen accountability through tools like stock cards, dispensing logs, and Medicines and Therapeutics Committees to reduce internal wastage and expiry of drugs.
The joint campaign, which will run nationwide on radio and online platforms, reinforces the simple principle: government-procured medicines, fully paid for with taxpayers’ money, are free of charge and must never be sold.