Ayume calls for community-led sensitization to combat drug theft

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr. Charles Ayume, Chairperson of the Health Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Koboko Municipality, has called for a shift in Uganda’s fight against drug pilferage—urging that the battle be led from the grassroots, not just by top government officials.

While acknowledging that some progress has been made to curb the vice, Ayume emphasized that sustainable impact will only come through widespread public sensitization and community engagement.

“Yes, some progress has been made to mitigate drug pilferage, but a lot still needs to be done—mainly through much public awareness,” Ayume said during a recent interview.

“It starts with the person in the village. It starts with the LC1. It is not President Museveni’s affair or the Minister of Health or the Permanent Secretary.”

He stressed that ordinary Ugandans are both the most affected by medicine theft and the most strategically placed to stop it.

“Addressing the stealing of drugs should be community-led,” he said. “Members of the community are the best whistleblowers to tell us where the theft is happening, and we swing in.”

Ayume’s remarks come as government agencies such as the National Medical Stores (NMS) and the Ministry of Health step up efforts to reduce medicine theft through digital tracking systems, drug embossing, and distribution audits.

However, despite these interventions, significant leakages persist, especially in rural areas where oversight is limited.

Ayume believes this gap can only be closed by equipping local leaders and communities with the right information and encouraging them to take initiative.

“LC1 chairpersons, VHTs, boda boda riders, and even religious leaders must be at the forefront of this effort,” he said.

“If people understand that these medicines are bought with their tax money and are meant to save lives, they will protect them.”

He called for local sensitization drives, radio campaigns, village meetings, and school outreach programs to raise awareness about how to identify government medicines—such as those embossed with “UG” and marked “Not for Sale”—and how to safely report theft or misuse.

“This cannot be a top-down enforcement approach. It must be a people-led movement,” Ayume stressed.

“Communities must understand that stolen medicine is stolen life.”