NDA arrests UPDF officer and nurse with 'stolen govt drugs'

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 ENFORCEMENT 

A Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) officer working at Kabamba Military Health Centre IV has been arrested during a special operation conducted by the National Drug Authority (NDA).

Lance Corporal Jimmy Kisembo, who serves as a laboratory technician at the health facility, was found with over 150,000 doses of ARVs (antiretrovirals) — drugs that treat HIV — allegedly stolen from the same health centre. 

In a statement, NDA said the suspect was intercepted at a private house in Mpumude, where he is believed to have gone to sell the drugs. 

During the same operation, NDA also arrested Musoke Mayi, an enrolled nurse and in-charge of Makoole Health Centre II who is alleged to have stolen 3,000 doses of antimalarials and 12,500 malaria testing kits that she had reportedly moved to a private house for sale. 

"After the arrests, our team was able to verify from hospital records and managed to link the recovered ARVs, antimalarials and malaria testing kits with the military hospital and health centre store documents," said NDA.

▪️ Three govt health workers jailed for stealing drugs

'We have recovered stolen drugs'

Currently in police custody, the two suspects face two charges of;

▪️ unlawful possession of government stores contrary to Section 296(2) of the Penal Code Act, and
▪️ unlawful possession of classified drugs contrary to Section 27(2) of the National Drug Policy and Authority Act

Generally,  NDA, a government agency, works to protect and promote human and animal health through the effective regulation of drugs and healthcare products.

The authority said that since 2019, it has been undertaking special operations targeting theft of government drugs.

"We have been able to recover government stolen medicine worth over 13 billion Ugandan shillings and the arrest of more than 60 suspects including, 40 health officials, a soldier and a policer officer," said NDA's public relations manager, Abiaz Rwamwiri (pictured below).

'Report crimes'

Rwamwiri said the latest arrests led to several sentencing, including the most recent one of Ronald Kibalya Nditusawa, a former drug dispenser at Kayunga Hospital, and with his accomplices.

They were on October 7 sentenced to up to four years in prison after NDA arrested them with over 64,800 doses of ARVs stolen from government hospitals.

"NDA appreciates the unreserved support from UPDF and specially the Deputy Director of CIM, Brig.Abdul Rugumayo, as well as SFC [Special Forces Command] and ISO [Internal Security Organization] teams who aided our easy access to military stores and documents for enabling completion of our investigations," said Rwamwiri.

"NDA calls upon the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected drug-related crimes via our toll-free line 0800 101 999 or WhatsApp line 0740 002 070 or directly to our offices, as we work towards breaking the cartels of drug thefts."