By Sadique Bamwita
Entebbe
The Parliament of Uganda has demanded and ordered the National Medical Stores to identify the officials responsible for expired drugs worth Shs.8.04 billion that expired in its stores. Parliament strongly warned National Medical Stores that the agency will not be allowed to write off the loss as a routine casualty of supply planning.
The demand came from the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) as NMS’ top managers faced the committee to answer questions related to wastage of medicines as exposed by the Auditor General’s report.
Led by the committee chairperson, Muwada Nkunyingi, the dissatisfied legislators told NMS general manager Moses Kamabare that the loss was a matter of individual accountability, but not mere accounting.
“As you attempt to react to our concerns, be mindful that we are interrogating a financial loss, and if not well accounted for, then we have to identify who among you caused the Government of Uganda this financial loss,” Nkunyingi said. It’s against this backdrop, that he instructed NMS to table a full inventory of everything that expired over the past two financial years, itemised by whether each drug was donated or bought with government money.
The contentious figures emanate from the Auditor General Edward Akol’s report for 2024/25, which implicated NMS to holding non-viable stock worth Sh8.04 billion.
” Medicines procured with taxpayers’ money accounted for Shs.532 million, while donor-funded supplies made up Shs.7.507 billion.
It’s reported that NMS spent a further Shs.3.685 billion in destroying expired stock in the same year, something which didn’t please the Legislators who claim the money was burned on drugs that never reached a single patient.
In his response, National Medical Stores (NMS) General.Manager, Moses Kamabare informed the committee that more than 90% of the expired supplies were items patients did not need at the time. He cited COVID-19 vaccines that Ugandans had declined, and older HIV and tuberculosis medicines withdrawn after the World Health Organisation and the Health Ministry ruled them ineffective against resistant strains.
However, Nkunyingi was not convinced with Kamabare’s explanation at face value, insisting it must be supported by evidence and confirmed by the Ministry of Health and user departments.
“We also need scientific and acceptable evidence that actually there was no requisition, or there was no need for medicine in line with HIV and related diseases you have quoted,” Angry Nkunyingi told NRM’S Kamabare.
Nkunyingi tasked Kamabare to explain why hospitals routinely run dry while supplies rot in stores. However ,Kamabare replied him saying that NMS bears no responsibility for drugs stolen or diverted after delivery.
“Once we deliver medicines to health facilities, the responsibility shifts to the management of those facilities. If medicines are stolen or diverted after delivery, that is not the responsibility of NMS,” he said, adding that storage, security and distribution to patients rest with facility managers.
The committee members still were not convinced prompting Hakim Kizza Sawula (Bukoto South) to challenge Kamabare to name the exact drugs that expired, arguing that few medicines are ever genuinely unwanted given Uganda’s disease burden.
Another Legislator, Stella Atyang (Moroto) asked whether donors had “used Uganda as a dumping ground.” Ismail Sowed Mulemya (Busia Municipality) demanded the names, quantities and expiry dates of the affected drugs, and asked whether NMS consults district health officers before dispatch.
Julius Muntu (Budadiri East legislator) tasked NMS to surrender its internal stock-control manual and any audit reports on stock held during the year, calling that the basic work of internal audit.
The furious legislators further squeezed management of NMS to explain on the delayed deliveries and recurring stock-outs. On this note, Richard Senteza (Lugazi Municipality Legislator) challenged NMS to alert oversight agencies the moment medicines vanish from facilities, arguing that faster action would protect patients and curb theft.
Sarah Annet Logose (Butaleja) challenged the agency to make its digital systems translate into real availability at the point of care, warning that government cannot keep losing money to expired stock while patients go without treatment.
While answering George Musisi’s question on labour-related litigation, Kamabare noted that most long-running cases stemmed from dismissals made years earlier on the Auditor General’s recommendation, while recent disputes had largely been settled in the agency’s favour. He said NMS had secured supplementary funding in the previous financial year after raising shortfalls with the Ministry of Finance and Parliament.
In conclusion, the committee members closed by reviewing procurement compliance, delayed budget reporting and the implementation of past audit recommendations, with NMS assuring the Legislators that corrective measures were in place.
