MP Ayume urges community-led fight against drug theft

Ugandan lawmaker Dr. Charles Ayume has called for grassroots mobilisation to combat the persistent theft of government medicines, arguing that communities must take the lead rather than relying solely on top government officials.
Ayume, who chairs Parliament’s Health Committee and represents Koboko Municipality, said progress has been made through digital tracking, embossing, and audits spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and the National Medical Stores (NMS).
But he warned that medicine pilferage remains widespread, especially in rural areas with limited oversight.
“It starts with the person in the village. It is not President Museveni’s affair or the Minister of Health,” Ayume said in an interview.

“Members of the community are the best whistleblowers to tell us where the theft is happening, and we swing in.”

He urged local leaders, boda boda riders, religious figures, and village health teams (VHTs) to front community sensitisation efforts, saying such groups are best placed to protect medicines bought with taxpayers’ money.
Government drugs are embossed with “UG” and labelled “Not for Sale,” but leakages into private pharmacies and black markets remain common.
NMS has said the theft undermines public health programmes and erodes trust in the system.
Ayume called for awareness campaigns through radio, schools, and village meetings to encourage reporting of theft and to ensure medicines reach intended patients.
“This cannot be a top-down enforcement approach,” he said. “It must be a people-led movement. Communities must understand that stolen medicine is stolen life.”