By Ben Ssebuguzi
Many Africans with remedies to cure diseases have been working from the background with inferiority complex simply because African governments have not been very keen to end the colonial mindset of importing drugs, which has turned their people into medical dependents and slaves. Slavery means subjugation and complete control of another.
In Uganda, Mr David Ssenfuka, the Director of Leonia Medical Research and Diagnostic center known for treating and healing notable people from Diabetes and cancer, who even his former patients have testified of the goodness of his concoctions. But his services could not be recognized simply because there was no good will.
However, that could be the end of the setbacks following the emergence of biotechnology breakthrough in Uganda. President Museveni made a revelation that Ugandan scientists had made major strides in developing drugs that could potentially cure Diabetes, Cancer and malaria. This must have been a blockbuster on the continent because finally Africa was taking strides to ensure its independence and sustainability through innovation and technology.
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Africa has been suffering from massive financial outflows with big National healthcare budgets to import medicines something which has hurt our economies. Apparently, Africa imports up to 90% of its drugs and consuming $14billions worth of medicines hence draining the continent’s forex reserves.
It should be noted that President Museveni has been consistent in encouraging Africans to use their resources to develop themselves. “A country like Uganda has got a lot of national resources but the problem is that the population didn’t know how to use them,” he said.
The NRM government under the leadership of President Museveni has been steadfast in building knowledge economy which has led to great achievements such as this one. The other time the President launched the state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Namanve called Piston Medical center.
The other day public opinions, a Research based firm which promotes Vision 2040 as well as the UN sustainable development goals recognized Mr Mathias Magoola, the founder of Dei Biopharmaceuticals Ltd with an award for their outstanding contributions to the development of the healthcare sector system in the country. These have advanced in their research to the extent of securing a United States Patent for cancer. They are located in Matugga near Kampala.
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Other notable individuals in the scientific research that have cut their niche in the industry are: Dr Ssenjobe Richard of Biva organic, Nana herbal known for teeth remedies, Jena herbal medicine manufacturing industry which helped in discovering a quick remedy for Covid 19, among others.
We also have Mahathi Medical industries Ltd as the first company in East Africa and the third in Central Africa in manufacturing medical devices like syringes. Talk about the East African Medical Vitals factory owned by Ben Kavuya which makes consumables, among others. This shows that Uganda is carrying a frame of developing Africa health care.
In all these endeavors, I credit President Museveni for having a thick skin. For example, when government committed to give support to Dei Biopharma Ltd of Mutugga, he encountered skepticism and backlash from the public, good enough the testimonies are now written on the wall.
They are the first biotechnology company in Uganda to venture into mRNA vaccine production; they also make drugs for infectious diseases among others, hence employing hundreds of Ugandans.
What does the President proclamation of the scientific breakthrough mean?
This means that Ugandan resilient scientists headed by the Minister for Science and technology, Hon. Monica Musenero, have carried out animal and human tests to confirm efficacy of some of our medicines/ drugs hence relieving the burden to patients and our health care system.
In his book, the Mastered seed page 24, President Museveni alludes that the greatest danger to the welfare of Africans was imperialism and its modern manifestation of unbalanced, non-reciprocal foreign capital penetration, resulting in one sided repatriation of dividends. He says that this leads to continuous net outflows.
This means that President Museveni’s journey which started with sensitizing his community in Ankore to adopt to modern way of living from Nomadism, has continued up to build the scope helping Africans revive their previous success in the medical field and tangle it with modern science to solve African problems.
In summary, by Africa developing a robust local manufacturing sector in pharmaceuticals will create a significant number of jobs for a wide variety of professionals, including scientists, researchers, technicians, engineers, accountants among others which will lead to multiplier effect which will support jobs in the related sectors such as clearing and forwarding, janitors, security and among others.
These achievements set President Museveni in the unique category of African liberators who have contributed at a unique time especially when others are going to the moon. Much as Nkwame Nkurumah, Patrick Lumumba, Ahmed Ben Bella, Nelson Mandela among others pursued self-determination of Africa, President Museveni has pursued peace, and integration on top of economic self-sustainability of the continent which meets the modern-day challenges of Africa.
Vote Yoweri Museveni for President – 2026 in order to protect our gains to achieve a quantitative leap.
Long live Hajjat Uzeiye Namyalo SPA PA and Manager ONC
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