Uganda’s National Medical Stores (NMS) General Manager Moses Kamabare has called for health workers convicted of stealing government medicines to be banned from practising for at least ten years, warning that pilferage of essential drugs continues to undermine the country’s health system.

Speaking on KFM’s Hot Seat radio programme in Kampala, Kamabare said professional councils must impose harsher penalties on offenders to deter what he described as “a crime against the people.”

“If a health worker is caught stealing government medicines, their registration should be removed for a minimum of ten years,” Kamabare said. “You are not a trader looking for profit. You know the harm you cause when you deny patients treatment.”

He said the NMS was strengthening oversight through the embossment of all government-supplied medicines with the words “Government of Uganda – Not for Sale”, digital tracking of deliveries, and real-time monitoring of supply trucks via GPS.

Theft and diversion of medical supplies remain a major challenge in Uganda’s health system, despite NMS delivering essential medicines to over 3,400 public health facilities every two months. Kamabare said some workers create “artificial shortages” by selling drugs meant for government facilities through private outlets.

“We find health centres claiming stock-outs, yet the same medicines are being sold in nearby private clinics. That’s deliberate diversion,” he said.

The NMS head said his agency’s trucks are fitted with GPS systems that automatically shut off if drivers deviate from their assigned routes. He added that local leaders, including Resident District Commissioners and Members of Parliament, receive SMS alerts each time a consignment reaches their district.

Kamabare’s comments came as NMS rolled out a nationwide media campaign, “From Warehouse to Your Health Facility,” aimed at promoting public awareness about free access to government medicines and transparency in the health supply chain.

“Government medicines are free. Don’t pay for embossed drugs. If you see them on sale, report to police or the State House Monitoring Unit,” Kamabare said.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health has not yet indicated whether it will adopt the proposed sanctions, but the call has reignited debate on professional ethics and accountability in the country’s public health sector.

A senior Ugandan MP has urged that ordinary citizens take the lead in the fight against drug theft, saying the problem cannot be solved by government agencies alone.
Dr Charles Ayume, who chairs parliament’s Health Committee, said medicine pilferage remains a serious threat to public health despite interventions such as drug embossing, digital tracking, and distribution audits by the Ministry of Health and the National Medical Stores.
Speaking in an interview, the Koboko Municipality legislator argued that the most effective solution lies with communities themselves.
“It starts with the person in the village. It is not President Museveni’s affair or the Minister of Health,” he said.

“Members of the community are the best whistleblowers to tell us where the theft is happening.”
Dr Ayume urged local leaders, village health teams, religious leaders and even boda boda riders to spearhead public sensitisation campaigns.

He said awareness efforts should focus on helping citizens recognise government medicines – which are marked with “UG” and labelled “Not for Sale” – and encouraging them to report misuse.
He suggested radio talk shows, school outreach programmes and village meetings as effective ways to spread the message.
“This cannot be a top-down enforcement approach,” he said. “It must be a people-led movement. Communities must understand that stolen medicine is stolen life.”

Every year, thousands of women across Uganda walk into government hospitals to give birth.

But despite National Medical Stores’ (NMS) guarantee that Mama Kits are free of charge, disturbing reports continue to emerge: mothers being asked to pay for gloves, cotton wool, razor blades, or soap.

This is more than just a public service issue—it is a human rights concern. The government provides Mama Kits for a reason: to save lives, reduce maternal and neonatal deaths, and increase safe deliveries in health facilities.

A Mama Kit, in its basic form, contains gauze, cotton wool, five pairs of surgical gloves, a razor blade, umbilical tape, a plastic sheet (kavera), and bathing soap.

These are simple items, but without them, a safe and sterile delivery can be difficult or impossible. In remote health centers, the presence—or absence—of this kit can mean the difference between life and death.

So why are some mothers still being charged?

The problem lies in leakage and poor supervision. Despite the kits being supplied in full, the items are hoarded or diverted—either for resale or as a means to solicit bribes.

“We are told there’s a shortage and we must buy our own gloves or soap,” said Justine Nankya, a mother in Mukono. “But later you hear someone sold a kit at a drug shop in town.”

This practice undermines public trust and deters women from delivering in health centers.

According to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS), while 74% of women now deliver in facilities, that number could be even higher if informal charges were eliminated.

NMS has emphasized that Mama Kits are free, not optional.

“They are not for sale,” said Sheila Nduhukire, the agency’s public relations officer.

But enforcement is weak. Communities often don’t know how or where to report such abuse. Local leaders—LCs, RDCs, DHOs—must rise to the challenge.

Clear guidelines on patient rights should be displayed at every maternity ward. Hotlines must be active. Whistleblowers protected.

The author is a medic in Nakapiripirit