Energy Minister Musenero Issues Two-Week Ultimatum To UEDCL To Connect Dei Biopharma To Main Power Grid

KAMULI, UGANDA – The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero, has ordered the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) to connect the Dei BioPharma cassava processing plant to the national grid within two weeks.

The US$50 million facility, located in Kamuli District, has been structurally complete for 18 months but has been unable to launch full commercial operations due to a lack of reliable grid electricity.

During an urgent site visit on Wednesday, Dr. Musenero met with UEDCL officials to resolve the bureaucratic and infrastructural bottlenecks that have stalled the strategic project.

“I am a hands-on minister, and my coming to this facility demonstrates that,” Dr. Musenero stated. “We have set a two-week timeframe to address this power challenge. We want to ensure that unreliable electricity supply is no longer a challenge to our local industries.”

 Crippling Energy Costs:

Since being commissioned by His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni on November 20 last year, the state-of-the-art facility has relied strictly on heavy diesel generators for localized testing.

Dr. Matthias Magoola, the proprietor of Dei BioPharma Ltd, revealed that running a single generator for just one shift costs the company Shs 15 million. These prohibitive overhead costs have forced the factory to restrict operations to just once a week.

To run at full capacity, the facility requires a stable supply of more than 5 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

 A Critical Link in Uganda’s Vaccine Independence:

The power delays at the Kamuli plant have had a direct domino effect on Uganda’s medical supply chain. The facility is designed to convert local cassava into pharmaceutical-grade starch and industrial sugars, including glucose and maltose.

These components are the primary raw materials required to supply Dei BioPharma’s main pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing campus in Matugga, Wakiso District.

“Our campus in Matugga cannot produce vaccines and drugs without the products we produce here in Kamuli," Dr. Magoola emphasized. “It has been deeply painful having this facility idle for a year and a half. UEDCL has now committed to upgrading the conductors and infrastructure within two weeks, and we are ready to scale up immediately.”

Economic Impact on Farmers:

Once connected to the grid, the factory will create massive agricultural momentum across the country, requiring 500 metric tonnes of cassava daily. Dei BioPharma is already sourcing the crop from farmers across Busoga, Teso, Arua, Gulu, Lira, and Bukedea.

The Kamuli plant Is the first phase of a broader US$10 billion Advanced Agro-Processing and Biotech Park on a 5,000-acre estate in Namasagali. Future phases include a foot-and-mouth veterinary vaccine complex with a 100-million-dose annual capacity, an organic fertilizer plant, and a 1,000-bed specialized hospital for cancer and sickle-cell treatment.

Following the minister’s directive, UEDCL has committed to replacing weak conductors and stabilizing the local grid network before the two-week deadline elapses.