By Mulengera Reporters
President Yoweri Museveni, also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate, has directed the Kayunga Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to explain the full extent of rampant theft of drugs and medical equipment from government health facilities in the district.
The directive followed complaints raised by residents during Museveni’s campaign rally at Busaana Town Council Playground in Kayunga District on Friday, 2 January 2025.
Museveni summoned Kayunga RDC Mariam Nalubega Seguya, formerly the RDC of Luweero District and a trusted government official, to brief him on how the district is handling the persistent problem of drug theft in public health centers.
Taking the podium, Nalubega, whom Museveni described as “Omwana w’Omulwanyi” (daughter of a fighter), said authorities had made progress in curbing the vice. She cited the recent arrest of several health workers at Bbaale Health Centre IV, crediting the Kayunga Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for playing a key role in identifying and apprehending the suspects.
Nalubega explained that the district has strengthened monitoring of drug distribution across all 13 sub-counties. She added that the National Medical Stores (NMS) now supplies medicines to the district on a quarterly basis, a move she said has improved accountability.
Unsatisfied with verbal assurances alone, President Museveni instructed Nalubega to prepare a comprehensive report detailing the magnitude of drug theft and the measures being taken to stop it.
Kayunga District has long been notorious for theft of government drugs. In August last year, police launched investigations into allegations that public medical supplies were being sold in private health facilities. The probe followed the interception of stolen drugs at Ziriddamu Medical Centre, a private clinic in Kayunga Town Council, allegedly owned by an in-charge of a Health Centre III in Kyotera District.
Three medical workers were arrested during the operation, though their identities were never officially disclosed. Security sources later revealed that a network of health workers from Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital (KRRH) was allegedly supplying government drugs to private clinics.
Further concern was raised by a recent Auditor General’s report, which flagged serious weaknesses in drug storage at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital. The report cited inadequate storage space, poor inventory management, unsafe storage of medical sundries in corridors, insufficient fire safety measures, and the fact that only two staff members were responsible for managing the hospital’s entire medical supply chain.
Local leaders and residents have since called for tougher regulations, including mandatory declarations by medical workers who own private health facilities and regular inspections to curb conflicts of interest.
The scale of the problem was further laid bare by the National Drug Authority (NDA), which revealed that between March 2024 and March 2025, stolen drugs worth 2.5 billion shillings were recovered in Kayunga District. The revelation was made during the handover of more than 60,000 doses of life-saving Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital. The drugs had reportedly been stolen from Kamuli General Hospital and diverted for illegal sale.
The revelations underscore the depth of corruption in the health sector and intensify pressure on authorities to dismantle drug theft networks once and for all. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
