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The National Drug Authority (NDA) has ordered an immediate recall of all batches of the anaesthesia drug Bupitroy Heavy from the Ugandan market, citing severe and potentially fatal side effects. In an October 16 letter addressed to the pharmacist-in-charge at Abacus Pharma (A) Ltd, the NDA Secretary, Dr David Nahamya, said the regulator had received multiple complaints from health facilities over an extended period.

‘The National Drug Authority (NDA) has received multiple complaints from health facilities concerning the product noted below over an extended period, including: Severe, life-threatening adverse drug reactions, some with fatal outcomes,’ Dr Nahamya stated. NDA also noted that the drug, whose generic name is Bupivacaine, failed to deliver its intended pharmacological effect, resulting in inadequate anaesthesia and treatment failures.

‘You are hereby instructed to conduct an immediate recall of all batches of this product on the market,’ the letter reads. The NDA classified the action as a Class A recall, the most serious category. The regulator says a Class A recall signifies a ‘reasonable probability’ that the drug could cause serious health consequences or death, requiring urgent removal from circulation to protect patients.

An NDA source underscored the urgency of the recall: ‘This is a critical measure to safeguard public health. A Class A recall signals that the drug’s risks significantly outweigh its benefits, posing a substantial threat of serious harm or fatality,’ the source said. Abacus Pharma has been instructed to submit a detailed recall status report within three days. The report must include the quantity and distribution of the drug, a list of clients notified, and feedback received.

Global regulatory bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency list Bupivacaine as a widely used aesthetic. According to the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the drug was first discovered in 1957. Locally, NDA records confirm that Bupivacaine is registered for human use in Uganda, meaning it passed regulatory assessment and was approved for sale. The NDA letter did not cite specific product defects. However, sources suggested that ‘by the time of testing the product was fine. Maybe issues came from how the drug was stored.’ The NDA drug register lists Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Limited as the licence holder, with Abacus Pharma (Africa) Ltd serving as the local technical representative.

Bupivacaine is used as a local aesthetic during surgical procedures. According to NCBI, common side effects include nausea, vomiting, chills, headache, back pain, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, restlessness, anxiety, vertigo, and tinnitus. More serious adverse effects include blurry vision, tremors, convulsions, myoclonic jerks, coma, and cardiovascular collapse, which can be fatal. A 2023 report by Dr Fourutan Shafiei and colleagues at the Kendall Regional Medical Centre in the US advises clinicians to ‘exercise caution in patients with hypersensitivity to sulfites, liver impairment (the liver clears amides), kidney impairment, impaired cardiac function, heart block, elderly, debilitated, or acutely ill patients.’

It remains unclear whether clinicians in Uganda followed all recommended guidelines when administering the drug or were fully aware of its risks. NDA sources reiterated that a Class A recall is only issued when the drug’s risks outweigh its benefits. ‘It is supposed to address a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a volatile product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death,’ another NDA source added.

Rising trend

In August, NDA ordered the withdrawal of calcium gluconate, a critical medication for heart conditions, over safety concerns. Between 2021 and 2022, NDA records show that at least 19 drugs and medical devices were recalled in Uganda due to safety or potency issues, reflecting the regulator’s active post-market surveillance efforts.

Uganda is losing approximately $500 million (Shs1.74 trillion) annually to money laundering and other illicit financial flows, according to data from the Uganda Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance. This figure represents about 0.6 percent of the $88.6 billion that Africa loses annually to such schemes.

Africa loses

At the ongoing high-level Africa Civil Society Conference, focusing on strengthening Africa’s fight against money laundering, terrorism financing, and illicit financial flows, taking place in Gaborone, Botswana, financial experts revealed that Africa is losing up to $88.6 billion annually through money laundering and illicit financial outflows. The Executive Director of Civic Advisory Hub-Uganda, Mr Yona Wanjala, said if Africans were to successfully tackle this challenge, it would save a lot of money to invest in transformation. ‘Africa is grappling with challenges of money laundering and terrorism financing. Statistics reveal that on an annual basis, we lose close to $88.6 billion. If this money were ploughed back, it would help us achieve many goals,’ Mr Wanjala said.

Africa’s commitment

The conference, organised by Civic Advisory Hub-Uganda, Spaces for Change (Nigeria), the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs of Botswana, and the Institute for Combating Illicit Financial Flows at the University of Botswana, has brought together civil society leaders, government representatives, regional bodies, regulators, and financial institutions to renew their commitment to combating money laundering, countering terrorism, and disrupting its financing across Africa.ing vice

While officiating at the conference held under the theme ”Placing civic space at the heart of combating money laundering, countering terrorism, and its financing in Africa,” the President of Botswana, Mr Gideon Boko, urged African leaders to put an end to the theft of public resources, highlighting it as one of the major sources of laundered funds. ‘What money is this that is being laundered? Where does it come from? Why do we have the problem? This is because of this ingrained weakness or propensity to enrich themselves to amass obscene levels of wealth. Those who hold public office turn the public purse into their own private chest of resources. They steal resources entrusted to them and appropriate these for their own benefits,’ he said

LAUNDERING FIGHT IN UGANDA

As Uganda prepares for its next Financial Action Task Force (FATF) evaluation in 2028, the country faces a critical test in its fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. While the country registered a major milestone by coming off the FATF ”grey list” in February 2024, experts have since warned that the risk of backsliding remains high.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) party has unveiled a new candidate for the Bukedea District woman parliamentary seat following the Electoral Commission (EC)’s recommendation to remove three aspirants from the National Voters Register. The chairperson of the NUP’s Election Management Committee yesterday announced Ms Florence Asio as the party’s new flagbearer, replacing Ms Mercy Alupo.

Ms Alupo had initially been selected to challenge the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, who represents the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. The Electoral Commission (EC) on October 6 upheld tribunal recommendations to delete three Bukedea parliamentary aspirants from the National Voters Register, saying the process was lawful and followed due procedure.

In an affidavit filed before the High Court in Kampala, the EC, represented by Acting Secretary Richard Kamugisha Baabo, stated that it had reviewed the complaints concerning the deletion of names from the electoral register. The Commission verified that the parish tribunals had acted lawfully in recommending the removal of Norma Susan Otai (FDC), Mercy Alupo (NUP), and Hellen Akol Odeke (Independent). The case was filed by Zipporah Akol, a resident of Bukedea, seeking to block the nomination of the three women who are seeking to challenge Ms Among, the incumbent Bukedea District Woman MP. Judge Simon Peter Kinobe has fixed October 27 for ruling.

Speaking to journalists at the NUP headquarters in Makerere-Kavule before heading out for campaign activities yesterday, NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, criticised the EC’s move to delete the names of the aspirants. Mr Kyagulanyi said the EC’s decision undermines democratic principles ahead of the 2026 elections. Mr Kyagulanyi called for unity within the party and urged Ms Alupo to support the new flagbearer. He said NUP would mobilise widespread support to block Ms Among’s re-election bid. Ms Asio, in her remarks, said her campaign would focus on addressing injustices faced by women, advocating for human rights, promoting employment opportunities, and pushing for better governance.

FDC stands by Otai

Meanwhile, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has reaffirmed its support for Ms Norma Otai as its candidate for the Bukedea seat. Mr Augustine Ojobile, the party’s electoral commission secretary, said there was no legal justification for her removal from the voters register. He maintained that Ms Otai’s name still appears in the EC system and dismissed the deletion as baseless. He warned that FDC would not entertain what he called ‘legal gymnastics’ and vowed to nominate her regardless of the obstacles. FDC said it would not change its candidate and is prepared to challenge the EC in court if Ms Otai is blocked from nomination. Parliamentary nominations are scheduled for October 22 and 23. Justice Simon Peter Kinobe, who is handling the case, has set October 27, to deliver his ruling, five days after the nomination window closes.

Petitions hearing set today

In the same vein, the Deputy Registrar Simon Zirintusa Kintu, in an October 20, letter announced that the High Court set today, October 21, to hear the two petitions that were filed against the EC by Ms Alupo, and Ms Norma Otai, challenging the deletion of their names from the National Voters Register and being blocked from contesting for Bukedea District Woman MP. ‘Take notice that the hearing of this case has been fixed for the October 21, at 9am in the fore/afternoon or soon thereafter as the case can be heard in this court, If no appearance is made on your behalf, by yourself/your pleader or someone authorised by law to act for you, the case will be heard in your absence,’ Registrar Zirintusa’s stated in the letter.

On Sunday evening we joined Ugandan football fans at St Mary’s Stadium, the home of Vipers Football Club, in Kitende on Entebbe Road. Vipers were up against Power Dynamos of Zambia to whom they lost in the CAF Champions League.

Ordinarily I would have let it pass. But these times are not ordinary. In the last 40 years, Ugandan football has come a very long way -eventually for the better. In the 80s and 90s most of the games were played at the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium in downtown Kampala. It was the home of most clubs because football was mainly a Kampala affair.

Of course there was Mbale for Mbale Heroes, Bugembe the home of Nytil FC and Nile FC. Once in a few seasons you had teams from Masaka, Mbarara and Lira. But Nakivubo was the place that defined the game. In those days local football was the major source of entertainment for the young and old. Digital satellite TV had not yet brought us the option of the European game.

Night music shows and hanging out at bars or joints faced the challenge of insecurity. Many people went indoors early. Football fans thronged the stadium starting at 12:00 noon for a game whose kick-off time was at 4pm. You paid at the entrance but there were a lot of fake tickets.

The place would be full to capacity if you did not go early. The rivalry between the main clubs KCC FC, SC Villa, Express FC, Coffee, Nsambya FC, Nile FC, Nytil FC shook those grounds and made memorable evenings for many. It went into overdrive when the national team the Cranes hosted other countries in the same place.

As time went on you got other entertainment distractions. Music shows, foreign leagues on the now ubiquitous satellite television channels and the development of other sports like basketball came in to rival football.

But before that, the game was lucrative to a certain degree and attracted many wide-eyed officials who looked to pocket and selfishly protect the gains in the game. Successive Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) administrations attracted what at one time were derogatorily termed ‘potato growers.’

They formed cliques and run down the game. The culture of corruption invaded the game. Poor officiation, bribery etc. Privatisation buried clubs like Coffee, Nile, Nytil, Masaka Cooperatives narrowing down the scope of clubs, especially upcountry. Then you had violence in the stands.

If the fans did not like a decision by the referee, they contested it with stones and other projectiles and many were injured. Fans voted with their feet and left for their own sanity and safety. As the game of football grew globally, a lot of what was seen and read about the game brought interest and attention to many. Uganda got football agents who helped many to play in leagues in Europe and South America.

We now qualify for the elusive Africa Cup of Nations. Uganda has got a very good stadium, the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole and other modest venues with facilities for online purchase of tickets, convenient restrooms and cafeteria. Small things like branded replica shirts became part of the game. Fifa and CAF, the managers of the game globally and on the African continent respectively, became strict with the development and adherence to licences, standards, rules and regulations. They even made greater contributions financially and in the form of training to local football associations as incentives to develop the game.

Fufa had to normalise and style up or miss out. The government came in and with time Uganda started on the path of redemption. That is how we eventually got the administrations of Lawrence Mulindwa and now Moses Magogo. They have put up systems and the game has been growing. The government is also putting in a good amount of money. Uganda has many players on the global scene like Denis Onyango.

The recently concluded CHAN tournament which Uganda hosted with Kenya and Tanzania pulled crowds and brought a lot of hope, filling Namboole whenever the Cranes played. The players of this generation are well to do and command respect, unlike the ones that came before them, many of whom resorted to begging and died of alcohol abuse and poverty after retirement. Many companies like Hima Cement, Plascon, CHINT, are associated with clubs as sponsors. Once again, the game has become very lucrative and again birthed negative unintended consequence.

For instance, Fufa’s ‘new format’ which rubbed clubs the wrong way. It would mean the clubs playing more games thus needing more money to run their clubs, many of which are on shoe string budgets. It was full of explanations and rather complicated permutations. Journalists nicknamed it after the mathematical acronym, ‘BODMAS.’ Editor and Columnist Dan Kalinaki called it ‘a solution looking for a problem.’ Mulindwa pulled his Vipers team out of the new format.

Clubs like SC Villa played under protest. Fufa dug in and arrogantly claimed that as the owners of the league they would go ahead. The sponsors reportedly threatened to pull out. The stake holders for whom the game is played once again voted with their feet. Fans stayed away, leaving clubs playing to bare terraces. Many fans as a show of protest thronged Kitende on Sunday to show solidarity with Vipers and Lawrence Mulindwa.

The latter received a rousing welcome when he came into the stadium. Fufa climbed down the high horse and reverted to the old ‘home and away’ format, putting on a brave face that it would ‘use the year to teach the format.’ The cart was put back behind the horse. What you notice about football in Uganda today is the perception that politics seems to have reared its ugly head in the arena. Magogo the boss of Fufa is the husband to the Speaker Anita Among and they are all NRM MPs. Whatever Magogo’s wrongs and good deeds, he does not escape scrutiny fairly or unfairly, with those lenses.

Many people view any success on his side or in the game as a gain for ‘the other side.’ For instance, when Uganda received two extra time minute penalties against South Africa which put Uganda in the group stages during CHAN, several Ugandans claimed they were not justified. Then when Uganda conceded two penalties against Algeria during the World Cup qualifiers that buried Uganda’s chances of qualification, a good number said it was ‘the correct decision!’

I think Fufa needs to go back to the drawing board. There is need for a new constitution that divorces its leadership from those who are actively in partisan politics. It should also make it easier for everyone to contest for leadership to avoid arrogance and complacency. Economic interest of those who run the game should be transparent, to avoid suspicions of conflict. A good country like ours full of young people needs a vibrant good game devoid of detrimental conflicts.

Over 2,000 students who sat for the May/June technical and vocational examinations across the country have failed to attain full competence in their respective programmes.

Releasing the results at their offices in Kyambogo, the executive secretary of the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB), Mr Onesmus Oyesigye, said that a total of 30,291 candidates registered for the May/June 2025 end-of-programme assessments, 17,245 (57%) of whom were female and 13,046 male.

Out of the total number registered, 26,610 candidates turned up for the final assessments, while 3,681 candidates were absent in one or more papers.

From those who sat, 24,116 candidates successfully acquired full competence.

However, a total of 2,494 students failed the examinations and are required to redo the papers.

Female candidates outperform males

Mr Oyesigye said that the completion rate across most programmes was very high, with the majority of training areas registering success rates above 75 per cent.

Female candidates, in particular, performed slightly better than their male counterparts.

‘Out of 15,399 female candidates who sat, 14,188 acquired full competence compared to 9,928 out of 11,211 male candidates,’ Mr Oyesigye revealed.

He attributed the improvement in performance among female learners to growing interest and participation of women in technical and vocational education, which has traditionally been male-dominated.

‘The performance of female candidates was better, and this is a very encouraging trend. It shows that more women are not only joining but also excelling in vocational and technical fields such as tailoring, cosmetology, catering, and even mechanical engineering,’ he said.

Releasing the results, the State Minister for Higher Education, Mr Chrysostom Muyingo, lauded the female candidates for their good performance.

‘This is an encouraging sign of government efforts to promote gender equity. These results underscore our collective dedication to empowering young Ugandans with skills that meet the demands of industry,’ he said.

Informal learners lead in numbers

UVTAB continues to provide opportunities for both formally and informally trained learners to have their skills assessed and certified.

Informally trained candidates contributed a total of 19,511 (64%), while those who were formally trained in institutions contributed 10,780 (36%).

Mr Oyesigye said the results reaffirm the effectiveness of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme, which enables skilled individuals who did not attend formal training institutions to be assessed and certified.

‘This initiative is helping many Ugandans, especially those in the informal sector, gain national certification for the skills they already possess, which in turn improves their employability,’ he explained.

Special needs candidates excel

A total of 109 candidates with special needs were registered for assessments.

Out of these, 102 (94%) candidates sat for assessments and from this 85 (83%) acquired full competence, while 17% acquired some competence but will be given a chance to perfect their competencies when the Board conducts similar assessments.

Mr. Oyesigye also highlighted the participation of special needs candidates, who were fully supported to sit for their examinations under inclusive assessment arrangements.

‘We are happy that inclusivity remains at the heart of vocational education. Our candidates with special needs were given the necessary support, and they performed satisfactorily,’ he said.

He commended instructors and examination centres for creating a conducive environment that ensured fairness and accessibility for all learners regardless of physical challenges.

Mr Oyesigye urged parents, community leaders, and local governments to continue encouraging young people to pursue technical training, saying the country’s economic growth depends on a skilled and competent workforce.

‘Technical and vocational education is key to job creation, industrial growth, and national transformation. With the right skills, one can create employment rather than wait for it,’ he added.