A high-level Military delegation from 9 African countries currently attending war college studies at the Malian Army War College toured the Dei BioPharma Ltd drugs and vaccines manufacturing campus in Matugga on Wednesday—commending the facility as a model for Africa's pursuit of pharmaceutical self-reliance.
The Wednesday afternoon visit formed part of a strategic study tour to Uganda hosted by the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces from July 13 to 17. The tour is intended to strengthen bilateral military cooperation and defense relations between Kampala and Bamako.
Brig. Gen. Moussa Yoro Kante, director of education of the Mali Defense Forces, led the delegation of 36 course participants, accompanied by Col. Diallo Belco, Mali's defense attaché to Uganda.
The multinational cohort comprised officers from nine countries: Mali, Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, Niger, Morocco, Togo, Chad, Senegal and Cameroon. Dei BioPharma was identified as a key site for the delegation because of its alignment with the study tour's objectives.
Addressing journalists after the tour, Gen. Kante expressed profound appreciation for what the delegation observed.
"The visit this evening allowed us to see beautiful things. I would like to congratulate Dr. Magoola for everything he is doing in the field of biotechnology," Gen. Kante said. "What the members of the fifth cohort and I have seen here inspires us in more ways than one. The work here is mesmerizing."
Gen. Kante said he is confident the visiting officers will convey their observations to their respective countries.
"I hope that each of these trainees, upon returning home, will be able to bear witness to what we have seen here at Dei BioPharma," Gen. Kante said, adding that "what we are going to take home is the example we saw here."
Responding to remarks by Dr. Matthias Magoola, the company's founder and managing director, regarding his ambition to extend the enterprise across the continent, Gen. Kante extended an invitation on behalf of the delegation.
"As Dr. Magoola said, he wants to go everywhere in Africa. We will be very happy to receive him very soon," Gen. Kante said.
Dr. Magoola told reporters that the delegation's response affirmed the significance of the undertaking.
"I think you have heard the students' feedback regarding what they have seen here; it is clearly eye-opening for them. Many had not seen anything like this before," Dr. Magoola said. "This is not surprising, as only a few countries, such as Morocco and Egypt, have attempted to move into manufacturing. Some of the students are from those regions, yet you heard them say they have not seen anything like this elsewhere. It is humbling, and it shows that what we are doing here will not only uplift the economy of Uganda but Africa at large."
Asked to elaborate on Uganda's offer to share pharmaceutical formulas with other African nations at no cost, subject to a formal request addressed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Dr. Magoola attributed the initiative to the head of state's Pan-African convictions.
"This is the president's vision. As a true Pan-Africanist, he believes that we must ensure Africa can afford these drugs. By offering this, we are inviting other nations to collaborate with us," Dr. Magoola said. "Africa does not need to depend on others for vaccine and drug manufacturing. I am operating in that spirit of Pan-Africanism that our president consistently emphasizes."
On the question of why Uganda, like much of the continent, continues to import the majority of its medicines, Dr. Magoola identified technological capacity as the principal constraint.
"The problem is a lack of technology. Africa currently imports 85 percent of its medicine. Whether in South Africa, Morocco, or Egypt, we all face this dependency because we have lacked the necessary technology," Dr. Magoola said, noting that the company has developed its own innovations, secured patents in the United States and established the technical capability to manufacture vaccines and medicines domestically.
Drawing attention to the continent's economic position — a population of 1.4 billion people with a gross domestic product of approximately $3 trillion, against a single U.S. financial company valued at $1.2 trillion — Dr. Magoola argued that domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing will serve as a catalyst for continental prosperity.
"We believe that, for the first time, real parity is going to come from Africa," Dr. Magoola said. "Our ultimate vision is to make these biological drugs, which 90 percent of our population currently cannot afford, accessible and affordable. Once we produce them here, we will not only meet local needs but also supply the rest of the continent, thereby improving the GDP of Africa as a whole."
Dr. Chetna Jain, chief executive officer of Dei BioPharma Ltd., said the visit reflected the company's growing recognition across the continent.
"Regarding this visit, it means a lot to us. It shows that what we are doing here is being recognized across Africa," Dr. Jain said. "People are aware of Dei BioPharma, and they are willing to come here and collaborate with us after seeing what we have developed. This is a state-of-the-art facility within the African continent, and I do not believe any other state in Africa has anything like it."
The Matugga facility has emerged as one of the most significant industrial undertakings in the region. Established in 2014 by Ugandan scientist Dr. Magoola, Dei BioPharma operates one of Africa's largest vaccine and drug manufacturing complexes. Its flagship plant was inaugurated in July 2021 by President Museveni and then-Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto.
The campus occupies more than 250 acres and is designed to produce medicines across a broad range of therapeutic areas — including treatments for malaria, HIV and cancer, as well as insulin, monoclonal antibodies and mRNA-based therapeutics — through approximately 30 manufacturing units.
Uganda's National Drug Authority licensed the company in May 2024 to commence the manufacture of medicines, including non-beta-lactam tablets and hard gelatin capsules. The complex comprises nine sections covering biotech, injectables, warehousing, generics, nutraceuticals, penicillin, cephalosporin, oncology and virus vaccines.
The firm holds more than 100 patents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is preparing to produce 1 billion doses of mRNA vaccines in accordance with international standards, including those of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization. Projections estimate the creation of more than 40,000 professional jobs. Senior officials in Uganda's finance and health ministries have endorsed the plant as a potential engine of economic growth capable of substantially reducing the country's medicine import expenditure.
The tour of the pharmaceutical campus concluded a week of broader military engagements. Speaking on behalf of the visiting delegation earlier in the tour, Gen. Kante thanked President Museveni for his continued support toward strengthening the capacity of the Malian Armed Forces through military training.
Receiving the delegation at the Defence Intelligence and Security Headquarters in Mbuya, UPDF Chief of Joint Staff Lt. Gen. Jack Bakasumba, speaking on behalf of the chief of defence forces, noted that Uganda and Mali maintain a robust defense partnership under a memorandum of understanding on military training. Under this agreement, 58 Malian officer cadets have been trained to date.
During that engagement, Gen. Kante announced that Mali has offered the UPDF 23 training slots, including one at the Mali War College.
