Egyptian firm set to establish FMD vaccine factory in Wakiso
“This is the same entity designated by the government of Egypt to come and establish an FMD manufacturing facility in Uganda under the G2G partnership. I congratulate MeVAC company for their advanced R and D innovations and thank them for having concluded all the preliminary procedures and made a final investment decision for the Uganda FMD vaccine factory,” Tumwebaze said.
The minister described MEVAC as a leading animal vaccine manufacturing company in the Middle East and a subsidiary of the Egyptian Ministry of Defence. (Courtesy Photo)
WAKISO - MEVAC, a private veterinary vaccine manufacturing facility in Egypt, is set to establish a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine manufacturing factory in Nakyesasa, Wakiso district.
Agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze revealed on Tuesday (July 28) that the company had completed all preliminary procedures and made a final investment decision for the establishment of the Uganda FMD vaccine factory.
He made the announcement on his official X account after leading his team on a visit and tour of what he described as the company’s high-tech infrastructure.
The minister described MEVAC as a leading animal vaccine manufacturing company in the Middle East and a subsidiary of the Egyptian Ministry of Defence.
“This is the same entity designated by the government of Egypt to come and establish an FMD manufacturing facility in Uganda under the G2G partnership. I congratulate MeVAC company for their advanced R and D innovations and thank them for having concluded all the preliminary procedures and made a final investment decision for the Uganda FMD vaccine factory,” he said.
Tumwebaze and his team are in Cairo, Egypt, to advance several agreed agricultural projects between the two countries.
The projects cover areas including fish and poultry farming, agricultural research, and the establishment of an FMD vaccine manufacturing factory in Wakiso.
The delegation arrived in Cairo on July 26, 2026, to meet Egyptian officials and discuss clear strategies and timelines for implementing the projects.
Upon arrival, the minister said on his X account that the visit was part of efforts to follow up on decisions made by the two heads of state in Kampala in May this year during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s state visit.
The minister noted that Gen. Kainerugaba pioneered efforts to first secure a reliable supply of FMD vaccines from Egypt before later supporting the decision to establish an in-country manufacturing facility.
“One of the advanced collaboration projects we hope to sign and conclude during this visit is the setting up of timelines for the groundbreaking of the FMD [vaccine] manufacturing factory in Uganda,” he said.
The minister noted that Gen. Kainerugaba pioneered efforts to first secure a reliable supply of FMD vaccines from Egypt before later supporting the decision to establish an in-country manufacturing facility.
“Already, a lot of groundwork has been covered through scientific research collaboration between the Egyptian and our own National Agricultural Research Organisation scientists,” he said.
Tumwebaze said NARO scientists, working with their Egyptian counterparts, have managed to isolate and produce SAT 1, one of the distinct serotypes of the FMD virus, which will be used or mixed in the factory with other strains to produce a quadrivalent vaccine capable of protecting susceptible animal herds against all FMD strains.
“With the availability of FMD vaccines and strict compliance by farmers to mandatory vaccination calendars, we hope to effectively control FMD in Uganda in the short-term and later fully eradicate it in the medium and long term,” noted Tumwebaze.
The minister and his team also held discussions with his Egyptian counterpart, Alaa El Din Farouk, the Egyptian minister of agriculture and land reclamation.
“Looking forward to a productive week of engagements and resolutions on precise points of action. God bless our two countries and our leaders!” Tumwebaze added.