State House Delegations Inspects Dei BioPharma Plant to Validate Public Investment and Progress

KAMPALA, UGANDA — A senior delegation of State House officials has conducted an extensive oversight inspection of the Dei BioPharma pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing facility in Matugga, Wakiso District. The high-level visit was launched to assess ongoing structural progress and ensure that the government's substantial financial investments are delivering absolute value for money.

The delegation, led by State House Comptroller and Permanent Secretary Jane Barekye, toured the expansive facility on Wednesday. The inspection comes as the government continues its active engagements with the pharmaceutical company regarding its final funding requirements, financial accountability, and operational timelines for large-scale production.

The tracking team included key technical leaders: Peter Ourien (Undersecretary, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation), Dr. Herbert Kawawa (Senior Presidential Advisor on Audit and Accountability), and Brenda Nakazibwe (Team Lead for the Pathogen Economy).

Enforcing Accountability for Public Funds:

During the inspection, the State House Comptroller emphasized that future state disbursements are directly tied to visible, physical progress on the ground.

“We are here to establish whether money plus output are equal and to create a relationship,” said Ms. Jane Barekye.

Barekye clarified that while the delegation's primary role is to advise President Yoweri Museveni, established statutory institutions will maintain strict oversight, with the Auditor General retaining the mandate to conduct formal, independent financial audits. The delegation commended the immense scale of the facility but stressed the critical need for absolute transparency and closer collaboration with Dei BioPharma founder Dr. Matthias Magoola in accounting for public resources already committed.

Milestone-Based Funding Structure:

The State House Comptroller conveyed President Museveni's firm commitment to ensuring the project reaches completion. However, she made it clear that outstanding financial requests will only be released through a strictly monitored, progressive framework.

“The beauty is that President Museveni is willing to give you all the balance you need to complete this project, but this money will be given progressively as work progresses,” Barekye noted.

• Remaining Capital Required: Shs1.736 trillion (approximately $430 million) is needed to finalize construction and initiate full-scale commercial manufacturing.

• Total Project Investment: Estimated at Shs4 trillion (approximately $1.1 billion) upon total completion.

• Capital Mobilized to Date: Approximately Shs2.5 trillion has been successfully raised and deployed.

Transforming African Healthcare Capacity:

Commissioned by President Museveni in July 2021 alongside Kenya's then-Deputy President William Ruto, the Matugga facility represents a monumental stride toward African medical self-reliance. Once fully operational, the plant is engineered to produce critical therapies, including:

• Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines (with a projected capacity of one billion doses annually)

• Oncology (cancer) treatments and insulin

• Monoclonal antibodies

• Generic medicines for malaria and prevalent chronic illnesses

To guarantee that the 250-acre facility aligns perfectly with strict international pharmaceutical manufacturing standards, Dr. Magoola has requested government support in establishing a clean buffer zone. This would include the structured relocation of nearby residents to eliminate environmental and external compliance risks.

Overcoming Local Infrastructure Bottlenecks:

Responding to the delegation, Dr. Matthias Magoola welcomed the state oversight and reaffirmed his commitment to transparency.

“I am aware that once you take taxpayers’ money you have to account for it,” Dr. Magoola stated, adding that clear reporting will effectively dismantle public misinformation regarding the facility’s actual milestones.

The founder expressed profound appreciation for the continuous support of the executive, specifically highlighting Science and Technology Minister Dr. Monica Musenero for fast-tracking a dedicated power line to Dei BioPharma’s cassava starch plant in Kamuli, which enabled full-scale production.

Dr. Magoola called on the government to urgently extend a similar dedicated power infrastructure to the primary Matugga facility. Currently, inadequate and unstable grid electricity has left several highly sophisticated production lines completely idle. Resolving these power supply constraints will immediately allow the plant to scale up to continuous day-and-night production shifts, vastly accelerating local job creation and medicine output.

The success of Dei BioPharma’s next phase rests on steady, milestone-verified state funding, precise fiscal accountability, and the swift resolution of localized energy bottlenecks.