Three govt health workers jailed four years for stealing drugs

_______________
 ENFORCEMENT 

The National Drug Authority (NDA) on Wednesday (October 8) welcomed the sentencing to jail of three people who NDA arrested in November 2024 with tens of thousands of doses of antiretrovirals (ARVs) — medicine that suppresses HIV — stolen from government hospitals. 

The trio were sentenced to four years in jail by the Makindye-based Standards, Utilities, and Wildlife Court in Kampala.

The convicts — Ronald Nditusawa Kibalya, Stanley Obema Stanley, Umaru Iddi Isanga — were working in government health facilities. They were  charged with three counts of possession of government stores, possession of classified drugs, and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor. 

The court also ordered that the vehicle which was used in the commission of the crime be forfeited to Government.

Last November, an NDA intelligence and enforcement team arrested Kibalya, a health worker at Kamuli General Hospital, with 64,800 doses of ARVs labelled 'Government of Uganda – Not for sale'.

Destined for Nansana in Wakiso district to reportedly sell the drugs, Kibalya was arrested with Moses Mwesigwa, Walter Bwambale, and Godfrey Mumbere.

The drugs, packed in 12 boxes containing 720 tins, were being transported in a Toyota Premio (UBN 848Y -  pictured below) when they were intercepted.

Later in November, the chief magistrate of the Standards, Utilities, and Wildlife Court directed NDA to donate those ARVs to a health facility of its choice.

The Authority handed over all the drugs to Kayunga Regional Hospital, which would then distribute the package to six districts: Luwero, Kayunga, Buikwe, Mukono, Nakasongola and Buvuma.

At the time, NDA said it had recovered government drugs worth over sh2.5 billion in the last eight months. 

The Authority's public relations manager, Abiaz Rwamwiri (pictured below), said then that the stolen drugs were part of a growing problem of government medical supplies being diverted for private sale. 

'Drug theft costly to public'

“The theft of government drugs denies patients access to the much-needed medicine, leading to public health challenges like drug resistance and worsening disease conditions,” said Rwamwiri.

He added that stealing government drugs undermines public trust in the healthcare system.

“This crime compromises the drug supply chain integrity and is a key source of ineffective, repackaged, expired drugs."

The Auditor General reports (2017-2020) revealed that up to 78% of drugs in health facilities were at risk of leakage, often involving facility health workers reselling them for profit, depriving citizens of their right to quality healthcare.

Authorities have repeatedly urged members of the public to help curb theft of government drugs. NDA also urged Ugandans to buy medicines from only authorized outlets, saying that accessing a bad drug is as bad as having no access at all.

'Theft of drugs must stop'

On his campaign trail as he seeks re-election, President Yoweri Museveni at the launch of his campaigns in Luwero district vowed action on the theft of drugs in health facilities. 

“The problem of stealing drugs is not in Congo or South Sudan. It is here. These drugs are traceable," said the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flagbearer.

"If you elect good LC5s and MPs, they can help monitor the health centres. From the centre, I will also act. Immunization is working well, that’s why we have so many young people now. 

"But the problem is curative treatment, where drugs are stolen. That must stop,” said Museveni.