Written By | BK Mugizi
Suspect, Nsamba Swamad
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KASANDA
The National Drug Authority (NDA) has arrested Nsamba Swamad, an Assistant Nursing Officer at Kassanda Health Centre IV, after he was found in illegal possession of more than 100,000 doses of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), alongside 15,000 doses of Aspirin and 400 HIV testing kits, all clearly marked “Government of Uganda – Not for Sale.”
According to Abiaz Rwamwiri, the NDA spokesperson, the medicines were discovered hidden in a pit latrine at Bukuya Trading Centre, where Nsamba also works part-time at a private clinic.
"This is a serious betrayal of public trust and undermines efforts to ensure free access to essential medicines for Ugandans," Rwamwiri said. "All these drugs were clearly marked as not for sale, yet they were being diverted for personal gain."
Part of a Broader National Crackdown
Nsamba's arrest comes amid an intensified NDA crackdown on the theft and illegal diversion of government medicines from public health facilities across Uganda.
In Isingiro District, a Senior Clinical Officer, John Baptist Muzahura, and his accomplice, a Health Information Assistant and stores in-charge, were arrested after 500,000 doses of ARVs, anti-malaria drugs, and other government medicines were recovered from Nyamuyanja Health Centre IV. One accomplice was later sentenced to three years in prison.
In October 2025, three health workers arrested for stealing tens of thousands of ARVs from government hospitals were sentenced to four years in prison by the Makindye Standards Court, a move hailed by the NDA as a deterrent.
Separate operations in the Acholi region saw two Gulu health workers apprehended over the theft of HIV prevention drugs, highlighting the nationwide scale of the problem.
Authorities have also reported cases involving military personnel accused of pilfering ARVs from military health facilities.
Public Health Risks and Legal Action
Health officials warn that siphoning essential medicines into unauthorised channels deprives vulnerable patients of treatment and fuels the black-market sale of drugs meant to be free.
"Every dose diverted from health centres puts lives at risk," Rwamwiri said.
NDA and police teams are expected to charge Nsamba and continue investigations into other potential recipients of the diverted medicines.
Torch Media Africa
