In the quiet corridors of Uganda’s health facilities, a silent theft has long undermined the promise of public health: the pilferage of essential medicines. This is not merely a crime against property; it is a theft of life, trust, and the social contract between the state and its citizens. On September 29, 2025, a decisive moment arrived as the National Medical Stores (NMS), alongside the Ministry of Health, the Police, and the State House Health Monitoring Unit (HMU), launched a nationwide media campaign to confront this scourge, a campaign that signals a turning point in the country’s pursuit of drug safety and accountability.
At the heart of this campaign is a profound truth: medicines are more than assets, they are lifelines. Every antiretroviral tablet, every vial of anti-malarial injection, every dose of antibiotics embodies survival itself. When such vital commodities are siphoned away, Ugandans do not merely lose property; they lose fathers, mothers, children, and futures.
Mr. Moses Kamabare, General Manager of NMS, framed the urgency with clarity: “Currently, when someone steals medicines worth UGX 200 million, they can walk away with a fine of about UGX 5 million. That is far too lenient. We recommend that whoever is found culpable pays three times the value of the commodities they are caught with.” His argument transcends economics; it is ethical. To under-penalize theft of medicines is to trivialize human life itself.
A National Crusade Against Pilferage
This campaign stretches far beyond public awareness. Through radio airwaves, digital platforms, and community mobilization, it declares unequivocally that drug theft is a national security threat. “Anyone who dares steal our medicines will be treated as a threat to national security and dealt with firmly,” said ACP Rusoke Kituuma of the Uganda Police Force. Such framing elevates pilferage from petty crime to an act of sabotage against the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
Dr. Warren Namara, head of the HMU, revealed the scale of the problem: over UGX 1.5 billion worth of medicines and medical equipment have been recovered in just two years. Each recovery is a reminder that while law enforcement prevails, countless patients endure silent suffering when life-saving drugs vanish into illicit markets.
Reform, Prevention, and Vigilance
Beyond punitive measures, Uganda is embracing systemic reform. Dr. Charles Olaro, Director General of Health Services, highlighted the forthcoming National Drug and Health Products Authority Bill, which promises strict penalties and tighter oversight. Yet he emphasized that prevention is equally critical: reducing avoidable demand through healthier lifestyles, safer road use, balanced nutrition, and exercise can decrease dependence on medicines and save lives.
Hospitals are also strengthening accountability with stock cards, dispensing logs, and Medicines & Therapeutics Committees. NMS is investing in technological transparency: GPS tracking for delivery trucks, real-time dispatch alerts, and embossed packaging boldly marked “Government of Uganda – Not for Sale.” Every step ensures that medicines reach their destination, intact, monitored, and verifiable.
A Moral Covenant With Citizens
At its essence, this campaign is a moral covenant. The state reminds every Ugandan that medicines in government facilities are free, paid for by citizens’ taxes, safeguarded by institutions, and entrusted to the public. To steal them is to violate law, community, solidarity, and humanity itself.
The battle against drug pilferage cannot be fought by institutions alone. It demands vigilance from patients, health workers, journalists, and local leaders. Whistle-blowers must be protected; communities must remain alert; media must pursue courageously investigative reporting. The official hotline (0800200447) empowers citizens to act against this silent betrayal.
This collective effort transcends safeguarding a medical stockpile; it is about defending life, dignity, and equitable access to health. In the spirit of the Rising Nation, Uganda’s progress will be measured not only in GDP but in the survival, wellness, and empowerment of its people.
