Uganda Recovers US$6.1M of Stolen Medicines

UGANDA · HEALTH

Uganda’s National Drug Authority, the state medicines regulator, said on Wednesday 21 October 2026 it has recovered stolen medicines worth Shs25 billion (about US$6.1 million). Its spokesman, Abiaz Rwamwiri, told clinic managers in Luweero District that thieves target HIV pills and malaria drugs, Nile Post reported.

For US readers, the theft hits a health system where more than 1.4 million Ugandans take HIV drugs that donors help to pay for. Rwamwiri said the recovered stock is only a fraction of what goes missing and warned that an operation in Luweero is coming.

What the Drug Authority Said in Luweero

Rwamwiri spoke at a meeting with managers of government health facilities in Luweero District, a farming area north of Kampala. He said the targets are antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), the daily pills that keep HIV patients healthy, and malaria treatments.

He alleged that some health workers hide stolen medicines in rubbish bins, coffins and toilets to smuggle them out of clinics. “Statistics indicate that at least 30 per cent of the medicines supplied by the government are stolen,” he said.

Where the Stolen Medicines Go

Rwamwiri said stolen medicines are sometimes sold across Uganda’s borders, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. He called those who steal them traitors, because patients in Uganda go without treatment while the drugs are sold abroad.

Mariam Nalubega, the Resident District Commissioner who represents the president in Luweero, warned that ARVs meant for people have allegedly been given to poultry. She urged facility managers to strengthen supervision so that medicines reach the patients they are meant for.

Luweero Changes How Medicines Are Handed Out

Innocent Nkonwa, the District Health Officer, said medicines will now be distributed twice a week through one central serving centre. Only trained and authorised staff will be allowed to handle the supplies.

Erasto Kibirango, the District Chairperson, warned health workers against taking money from patients, and the district will train pharmacy staff to keep records. He said one health worker is in prison after a patient gave her Shs10,000 (about US$2.40).

A Luweero Case From 8 October

On Thursday 8 October the authority presented four suspects to the media in a Luweero case, the Monitor newspaper reported. They are a hospital midwife, her two brothers and a former hospital guard, accused of holding stolen medicines worth over Shs50 million (about US$12,200).

The midwife, Irene Marion Namugenyi, denied the allegations and said she had been framed. The four were due to appear before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court, and they are presumed innocent until a court rules.

A Pattern of Arrests Across Uganda

In December 2025 the authority found 500,000 ARV doses at the Mbarara home of a senior clinical officer from Isingiro District, Nile Post reported. In March 2026 a nursing officer at Kassanda Health Centre IV was arrested after more than 100,000 doses turned up in a pit latrine.

In October 2025 a court sentenced three health workers to four years in prison over the theft of 64,800 ARV doses. Rwamwiri told the Monitor on 8 October that special operations had led to the arrest of more than 68 health officials.

What It Means for US Readers

The Uganda AIDS Commission, the government body that coordinates the HIV response, says more than 1.4 million people in Uganda receive antiretroviral therapy. In 2023 the United States was preparing about US$500 million in PEPFAR funds, its global HIV aid programme, for Uganda, Health Policy Watch reported.

Rwamwiri has warned that missed doses can lead to treatment failure and drug resistance, a concern for any donor that pays for treatment. Rio Times has also covered Namibia’s HIV programme, which is losing American funding.

What Is Not Known

Nile Post said the Shs25 billion (about US$6.1 million) was recovered over three to four years, but the Monitor quoted six. In December 2025 Nile Post reported more than UGX 15 billion (about US$3.7 million) recovered since 2019, and no report explains the gap.

No start date has been announced for the Luweero operation, and the source of the 30% theft estimate was not given. The reports also do not say how much of the recovered stolen medicines came from donor-funded supplies.

More: Uganda news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Uganda’s National Drug Authority?

It is the state regulator of medicines in Uganda, and its enforcement department raids people suspected of stealing government drugs. Its spokesman is Abiaz Rwamwiri.

How much of the stolen medicines has Uganda recovered?

The authority says it has recovered about Shs25 billion (about US$6.1 million) of stolen medicines. Rwamwiri said this is only a fraction of what is believed to have been taken.

Which medicines are stolen most often?

Rwamwiri named antiretroviral drugs for HIV and malaria treatments. Government packs are marked as not for sale.

Where do the stolen medicines end up?

Rwamwiri said some stolen medicines are sold in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. A local official also alleged that ARVs were given to poultry.

Have the Luweero suspects been convicted?

No. The four people presented on 8 October are suspects, and the midwife has denied the allegations.

What is Luweero doing to stop the theft?

It will hand out medicines twice a week through one central centre and train pharmacy staff to keep records. The authority also plans an enforcement operation in the district.

Sources: Nile Post, 21 October 2026; Monitor (Kampala), 8 October 2026; Nile Post via allAfrica, 12 December 2025; Nile Post via allAfrica, 16 March 2026; Nile Post via allAfrica, 11 November 2025.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief