By John Kasozi

BIO-PAINTS, like indoor residual spraying, could be cheaper and one of the best applications of long-acting insecticides. House walls and roofs can be coated with bio-paints to repel adult vector mosquitoes.

Eugene Bbaale, the managing director of Peak Paints, says recently he carried out a research at the National Chemotherapeutic Research Laboratory involving a number of plants that can produce bio-insecticide oils.

“I conceived the idea while working with the Rakai Health Sciences Programme, which conducts HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis clinical research.

My desire to take up the bio-insecticide paint proposal came at a time I had joined Kyambogo University for a bachelor of science technology and Biology degree a few years ago,” Bbaale says.

“I was exposed to the technology of extracting bio-oils from eucalyptus, lemon grass and Mujajja (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which can be mixed with indoor house paints to repel mosquitoes,” he adds.

“Despite the overwhelming burden imposed by malaria in Africa, there is increasing optimism that the tide can be turned by manufacturing bio-insecticide paints,” Bbaale says.

In South Asia and Africa, these plants are used as medicinal plants and herbal tea.

“My challenges are sourcing funds to carry out the research, knowing the right amount of bio-oils that should be mixed with the paint and establishing their shelf-life,” Bbaale says.

Like many people, the beginning was not easy. Bbaale sought help from his uncle in the UK, who had studied industrial chemistry, majoring in paints and wood vanishes.

“He provided me with information and a picture of a paint mixture pulley machine used in Kenya,” he explains. “The machine had four pulleys, but I modified it and reduced the pulleys to two,” Bbaale says.

In 1999, he put the machine together, designed labels and sourced chemicals to make the paints. “I started producing 400 cans of emulsion paints and wood vanish every month.

Unfortunately, my landlord asked me to vacate the premises. I spent some time without producing paints, but I managed to secure another place in Lubiri in 2009,” Bbaale says.

He now owns a company, Eugant Qualitative Industries Uganda, which manufactures undercoat, high gloss, mahogany and light oak paints. He says a jerrycan of vinyl silk and matt meant for the interior costs sh130,000 and sh125,000, respectively.

“Our mortar is powerful enough to mix 400 litres per hour. In a day, we make 2,400 litres of paint,” he explains.

Fight against malaria
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 42% of the malaria incidence could be reduced through the manipulation of human habitat.

A recent WHO report reveals that Uganda has the world’s highest malaria incidence, with 478 cases per 1,000 people per year.

Malaria affects over 95% of the country, with the highest transmission intensity worldwide. It is the leading cause of mortality in Uganda.