Ugandans urged to formalise businesses to access gov’t support
MBARARA CITY, February 10, 2025 – Dr. Edward Kazire, Principal Investigator and renowned proprietor of Kazire Health Products Limited, has urged Ugandans to formalise their businesses in order to benefit from government support.
“The challenge with some Ugandans is that they are reluctant to formalise their businesses. You find that someone wants to be a manufacturer but refuses to obtain a Tax Identification Number [TIN] or register for VAT because they do not want to pay taxes,” he observed.
Kazire made these remarks on Saturday during a media briefing, shortly after President Museveni recognised Busitema University and his company, Kazire Health Products for their discovery of herbal medicine for the treatment of coronavirus.
While celebrating the 44th Tarehe Sita anniversary in Kyotera district on Friday, Museveni said, “Our people at Busitema University have discovered medicine which can cure coronavirus and other viruses. There is also a group called Kazire Herbal Products from Mbarara; they discovered something similar, and the people who took these medicines recovered four days earlier than those using other treatments.”
“All those scientists who discovered medicine, I am going to reward them. I will ask my family, Janet and Muhoozi, to allow me to sell part of my cows and give them a gift,” he added.
Kazire expressed gratitude towards Museveni for supporting Ugandans in the development of herbal medicines capable of treating various diseases, unlike in the past when the country relied solely on medicines from the developed world.
“It is very exciting for us at Kazire Pharmaceuticals Limited because, since 1999, when I was at Makerere University, we began the search for natural therapeutics. We aimed to improve traditional medicine, and the President’s signing of the Traditional and Complementary Medicines Act of 2019 has significantly helped the growth and development of herbal medicines in Uganda and Africa as a whole,” Kazire explained.
He added, “Looking at global trends in medicine, there is already an exponential growth in the demand for natural therapeutics.”
According to Kazire, his company has invested about Shs 15 billion in research and innovation aimed at developing more herbal medicines for Ugandans.
He challenged local manufacturers to legalise their operations if they are to overcome the challenges of manufacturing and accessing government support.
Kazire explained that he has successfully collaborated with regulatory agencies, including the National Drug Authority [NDA], to ensure that Kazire Herbal Medicines are legally compliant in the country.
“From the very beginning, I made sure that my business was formalised. I am registered with the Uganda Revenue Authority [URA], I have a TIN, and I am among the medium-scale taxpayers. I have worked with the National Drug Authority, and we are the only company in Africa to hold a Good Manufacturing Practices [GMP] certificate for the production of natural therapeutics,” Kazire said.
He encouraged fellow scientists to collaborate and continue their studies to remain relevant in research and innovation. “Continuous development must come through knowledge, technology, and science. To overcome the turbulent times of investment, you must read and engage with other scientists. You cannot keep your small herb hidden, thinking you will break through on your own. We must open up to systems of science and technology if we are to make more innovations in the development of traditional medicine,” Kazire emphasised.
In light of the recent suspension of humanitarian support to Africa under USAID, Sedrack Atuhaire, Research Manager at Kazire Health Products Limited, reassured Ugandans that local manufacturers of natural medicine would address the health emergency.
“I want to tell Ugandans that our reliance on foreign aid for health systems is coming to an end. This will also motivate other innovators, as everything is possible,” Atuhaire said.
He further explained that Uganda had been awakened in 2019 when people were denied the opportunity to travel abroad for treatment.
“This is why we are not only working on drugs for respiratory diseases. We have developed medicines for ulcers, diabetes, cancer, and malaria, which are being tested by the NDA. In a few years, most of these diseases will be managed within Uganda,” Atuhaire noted.
He added, “Half of the medicines in hospitals will be manufactured in Uganda, meaning that even if America stops supplying us with drugs, people will not die.”
“This is one of the reasons why the President [Museveni] signed the National Parsonage Economy Bill, so that there should be a group of scientists making medicine to lift Uganda from the limitations of depending on foreign medicine,” Atuhaire said.
Value chain development
Kazire explained that they are working with over 300,000 farmers across the country to ensure the production of enough plant nutrients for commercial production, meeting both national and international demand.
“At Kazire Health Products, we produce about 200,000 bottles of different products per day. We have established a 1,000-acre nuclear farm in Masindi district, where we are multiplying most of the plant species used in the manufacture of our products,” Kazire said.
Currently, Kazire Health Products Limited employs 557 people and produces products such as Vidicine, Alsaton, Kazire Beetroot, Kazire Aloe Vera, and Kazire Lemon Drink.
https://thecooperator.news/nda-builds-capacity-of-herbalists-in-tooro-kingdom/
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