The National Drug Authority (NDA) has warned members of the public to beware of a fake acaricide named ‘Tickoff’ being manufactured and promoted by Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral’s senior pastor, Robert Kayanja at his church.
Acaricides are chemicals used to kill ticks and mites.
In a statement by the NDA Public Relations Manager, Abiaz Rwamwiri the counterfeit acaricide is manufactured and distributed by CPM Wave and was first publicly promoted by Pastor Kayanja at one of his services at Rubaga Church during the 2022 Christmas season.
“Pastor Kayanja is on record announcing that he, together with his other accomplices had come up with an “incredible organic” product that kills ticks instantly. Our teams engaged and met with Pastor Kayanja and his partners (Marvin Mukasa and Clinton James) who owned up the product and claimed to have a team of scientists from Makerere University School of Veterinary Medicine who were lead investigators. NDA reached out to the said teams who confessed that they had never worked or reviewed anything from Pastor Kayanja or any of his associates,” Rwamiri said.
He said the influential pastor and his team however declined to disclose the ingredients of the product but NDA working with Uganda Police impounded over 100 samples from his church stores and took them to government chemist laboratories.
The NDA spokesperson said results indicated that the acaricide is poisonous.
“All the samples tested positive of contamination with dangerous and banned chemicals that include diazinon, a highly concentrated fumigant used to kill bedbugs, bats and termites, fipronil, a spray banned for food producing animals because of long withdrawal period due to the potential risks it could have on human health and benalaxyl , a systemic fungicide which is carcinogenic.”
NDA said in the statement that the chemicals were being mixed with animal-feeds and “mukene” and packaged without any expertly date, ingredient information or warning.
“ After disclosing to Pastor Kayanja that his product was a counterfeit, he has since closed all communication channels and instead tried to blackmail our teams.
NDA condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of Pastor Kayanja for using his advantaged position to take lure desperate farmers when Uganda is faced with a challenge of tick-resistance. His intention was not only criminal but also intended to cheat Ugandans.”
Rwamiri said that while NDA works with police to hold Pastor Kayanja and his accomplices accountable for their criminal acts, the public especially from the districts of Kiruhura, Lyantonde, Sembabule, Gomba, Isingiro, and parts of Karamoja among others where this product has been distributed are strongly warned against using Tickoff as an acaricide.
“ We hereby direct all farmers who had received supplies for product to drop at any police station for easy collection.”
