Government to Compensate & Relocate Residents Around Dei Biopharma In Matugga to Facilitate Plant Expansion

KAMPALA, UGANDA— The Government of Uganda has announced plans to compensate and relocate residents living near the Dei BioPharma Ltd medicines and vaccines manufacturing campus in Matugga, Wakiso District. The move aims to clear space for the strategic expansion of the national pharmaceutical facility.

Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation Aminah Mukalazi made the announcement on Friday, September 18, following a site visit and consultations at the Dei BioPharma campus in Kigoogwa, Matugga. Minister Mukalazi confirmed she was acting on direct instructions from President Yoweri Museveni.

During the High-Level Consultations, the minister held a closed-door meeting with plant proprietor Dr. Mathias Magoola, Wakiso Resident District Commissioner Charles Lwanga, local security personnel, and local leaders, including Gombe Division Mayor Hajjat Mbabazi.

President Museveni directed local leaders in Nansana Municipality and Gombe Division to immediately halt any further construction within a specified safety radius of the pharmaceutical plant.

Gazetted Industrial Park:

The surrounding area has been officially gazetted as an industrial zone to support specialized medical manufacturing and meet stringent international regulatory standards.

 The affected Communities that the minister engaged includes residents from Kigoogwa A and B, Kiryammuli, Wabitembe, and Kiryowa, encouraging their cooperation for this critical national health project.

Compensation and Relocation Framework

For Fair Assessment, government valuers will verify and assess claims for both mailo landowners and bibanja (tenants) holders prior to any payout, with a direct process with residents who have already strongly cautioned against dealing with third-party brokers or intermediaries. Technical officers have frozen further land transactions in the designated zone.

Government Stake:

Citing the government's significant financial shareholding and strategic interest in Dei BioPharma, the state emphasized its dual duty to protect public welfare and fast-track domestic drug and vaccine manufacturing for Uganda and the region.

Relevant government agencies have been instructed to immediately roll out the valuation and relocation roadmap.