Two men, Edison Makwa, 55, and Abdallah Kitakule, 49, have been remanded to Bubulo Prison after being charged with unlawful possession of government drugs and operating a pharmacy business without a license.
The suspects were arrested on October 2, 2025, at Bukigai Market in Bududa District after police received intelligence that government drugs were being openly sold there.
A police team led by D/Sgt. Charles Namisi found the suspects selling assorted medicines to members of the public. Upon search, the officers recovered numerous drugs, some of which were clearly labeled “Government of Uganda – For Public Use, Not for Sale.”
The suspects were subsequently arraigned before Magistrate Ivan Maloba at Bududa Court, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Maloba denied them bail and remanded them to Bubulo Prison until November 4, 2025, when the case will come up for hearing.
Dr. Warren Naamara, Director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit (HMU), said the suspects were caught selling government drugs in the market without any medical qualifications.
“They were arraigned in court and the law will take its course,” Dr. Naamara said.
He expressed concern over the increasing number of quacks operating in different parts of the country, selling medicines without any medical training.
“It’s unfortunate. These people know nothing about medicine, yet they are putting the lives of Ugandans at great risk,” he said.
Dr. Naamara described the theft of government drugs as a “syndicated move,” saying the racket has grown into an organized industry that deprives public health facilities of essential medicines.
“This kind of theft causes artificial shortages in hospitals,” he said.
He also called for the development of more digital applications to help track and combat drug theft across the country, expressing frustration that some suspects who are granted police bond or bail often disappear, making it difficult to bring them to justice.