Zimbabwean army seeks Dei Biopharma’s drugs, vaccines

A team of senior army officers from Zimbabwe have appealed to Dei Biopharma, a Ugandan pharmaceutical drug manufacturing company, to consider supplying vaccines and drugs for various killer diseases to their country.

The team, on an intelligence exchange visit with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), made the request on August 19 after a tour of the Matugga-based manufacturing facility. They want the company to provide them with the rare drugs and vaccines, which would play a big role in eliminating many killer diseases in Zimbabwe and Africa in general.  

“I am just wondering whether we can make Uganda one of the countries that can produce drugs for Africa, or have some areas where you can specialise and lead Africa in the manufacture and production of such goods and services,” said Brigadier General Maxwell Masuku, the Director General, Intelligence Operations of the Zimbabwean Defence Forces (ZDF).

Dr. Mathias Magoola, the founder Dei Biopharma in Matugga, Wakiso district making a presentation to the visitors. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

On Wednesday, Brig Gen Masuku led a team of Zimbabwean army officers for a visit to Dei Biopharma. They were in Uganda for a four-day bilateral defence intelligence exchange meeting with UPDF. Others on the team were Lt. Col. Sibanda Mhlomuli and Lt. Col. Tendai Mangoro.

They were taken for a tour of the facility. According to the UPDF management, Dei Biopharma was chosen for the visit to prove to Zimbabweans that the availability of peace in a country can lead to mega investments like such a multibillion-dollar facility in Matugga, Wakiso district. 

The team, accompanied by their host, Col. Sam Kirya, the head of special operations at the Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) headquarters, formerly Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, was received by Dei Biopharma founder and chief executive officer, Dr. Mathias Magoola and senior pharmaceutical experts.   

Some of the drugs are ready for the market, pending delivery from Dei Biopharma. The store also has raw materials used in the manufacture of various drugs.

“I am also interested in the drugs that can cure HIV/Aids or those that can assist in treating cancers, which have become killer diseases in Africa.”

“I know in my country many people have succumbed to these diseases. I have also learnt that you can produce anthrax vaccines, which is also a big problem in Zimbabwe, Masuku said.

He promised to become Uganda’s and Dei Biopharma's ambassador in his country and explain to his government the potential of the company in manufacturing critical medicines at an affordable price.   

Dr. Mathias Magoola, second from the left (standing) leading a team to tour inside the factory.

“I promise to be your ambassador. I will go and inform them (Zimbabweans) about this, and the strides you are making in manufacturing vaccines and drugs for yourselves, for the region and for Africa and beyond. Your vision is so big for the people of Africa,” the general explained.

He thanked the government of Uganda and the UPDF for granting them the opportunity to visit such a big company that they didn’t know existed in Uganda.
He said that he did not imagine that Uganda had such a big vision for itself and for Africa.

“Africa fears to start its own things and fears to fail, but Uganda did not fall into that position and decided to lead by example. I know coming up with such massive development was not an easy job; you had your own challenges, coming up with drugs for the population of Uganda and for Africa,” he stated.

Experts at Dei Biopharma are explaining the manufacturing processes at the factory.

He said visiting the facility was an opportunity for me and his team because they came to know it is a massive investment, which they did not expect to find.

“This project is good for anyone to visit. I have learnt a lot of things from here; I have realised that this industry is so strategic for Uganda, Africa as well as the global community,” he said and confessed that this was his first visit to Uganda.

He also acknowledged that Ugandans are good people and so loving, with a rich culture. He said the two countries share a lot in the field of security, hence the exchange visits.

“In other areas like the pharmaceutical industry, from what I have seen, I would encourage that cooperation in this field would assist both countries,” he said and commended the company for its keen interest in emphasising compliance and endeavouring to meet certain standards without which the products cannot sell to the world markets.

“Your efforts to meet standards made me appreciate how you value the standards,” he said.

Col Kirya said that the visit to Dei Biopharma was included as one of the things to showcase what peace and stability have created in Uganda.

“It was (the visit) an initiative from the UPDF leadership so that we bring out our colleagues from Zimbabwe to pick up a few lessons on what it means to be peaceful and stable,” he explained, adding that science, technology and innovation have been President Yoweri Museveni’s song that Uganda must move to the next level.

Brig General Maxwell Masuku (R), who led a delegation from Zimbabwe shaking hands with Dr. Mathias Magoola, the founder of Dei Biopharma pharmaceutical factories in Matugga, Wakiso district. The visitors asked the company to consider making biological drugs for their country. Left is Col. Sam Kirya, the head of special operations at the Defence Intelligence and Security headquarters.

“The President wants us to ensure that we are self-sustaining and stop always relying on the outside world; it is time to use and improve our own and move out of poverty as he keeps telling us,” he explained.  

Col. Kirya asked the visiting team to invite Dr. Magoola to make a presentation before their President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, “so that we don’t have it only here, we should be spanning to other countries so that we have Africa also owning this”.

In response to the visitors’ request about HIV/Aids and cancer drugs, which have become major killer diseases in Africa and anthrax for animals, Dr. Magoola said many people in Africa were dying of cancer because of lack of access to the drugs, which cost millions of dollars.

“In Africa we cannot afford these drugs because we are not producing them. But we believe we are going to handle and treat and cure our people when we start making such drugs, including HIV/Aids which is going to be a disease of the past,” he explained in a presentation to the visiting team.

Brig General Maxwell Masuku (R), who led a delegation from Zimbabwe, handed over a gift to Dr. Mathias Magoola, the founder Dei Biopharma pharmaceutical factories in Matugga, Wakiso district.

He said other countries had made drugs for HIV but are currently not affordable.
He promised that such drugs would be affordable by making them locally and exporting them to the rest of the world that cannot afford.  

He pledged that once he secured the $430m he requested from the government, he would start full-time production, including anthrax vaccines that were preventing Uganda and Africa from exporting meat and cattle products to many big markets.

He thanked the Commander-in-Chief, Gen Yoweri Museveni and the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for choosing his project to host the delegation from Zimbabwe.   

He said the vision for Africa to become self-reliant would be for the continent to become self-sufficient in terms of producing its own drugs and vaccines and stop importing such products from outside. 

The founder of Dei Biopharma pharmaceutical factories in Matugga, Wakiso District, Dr. Mathias Magoola (L), explains to a team from Zimbabwe what they manufacture at the facility. Centre is Brig General Maxwell Masuku, who led the team from Zimbabwe. August 19, 2026.

“So, when visitors from Africa come to visit us, it gives us such encouragement because they wondered why they were not aware of such a massive investment,” he said, adding that they planned to complete the facility before the end of next year.

“We are spending about sh4trillion ($1.1b) on the entire investment, and so far we have raised sh2.5 trillion; we believe that the balance of $430m is going to come and help us go into real massive production, producing all medicines and vaccines that the country needs,” he explained.

He assured Ugandans that all the money the government was investing in the company through buying shares would be accounted for.

“We want to guarantee Ugandans that your money is safe. We are going to ensure that there is accountability for the money you continue to give us, and you will be proud of it”.