NAMASAGALI, KAMULI — On a warm November morning in Namasagali, Uganda tried to reimagine its future.
President Yoweri Museveni arrived to open a US$50 million starch processing plant, a factory built not just to turn cassava into flour, but to propel the country into the global pharmaceutical supply chain.
Behind the polished machinery lies an audacious promise: thousands of jobs, a guaranteed market for farmers, a vaccine hub for Africa, and even a path to producing cures the continent has never had access to.
For its architect, Dr Matthias Magoola, this is more than a factory; it is the first brick in a scientific city he believes could rewrite Uganda’s industrial destiny. On November 20, 2025, President Museveni, accompanied by First Lady and minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni, cut the ribbon on the sprawling facility, the first phase of a much larger industrial and pharma- ceutical complex being built by Ugandan scientist and entrepreneur Dr Matthias Magoola under Dei BioPharma Ltd.
Set on more than 5,000 acres, the plant is designed to turn Uganda’s humble cassava into high-value industrial products — pharmaceutical-grade starch, food-grade starch, glucose, maltose and fructose — inputs the country has imported for decades at enormous cost.
“We are producing five products — pharmaceutical grade starch, food grade starch, glucose, maltose, and fructose — and this is the largest on the African continent,” Dr Magoola said with quiet pride as he led officials through the facility.
The launch signals the start of what Dei Biopharma describes as Africa’s largest integrated industrial park dedicated to pharmaceutical and food-grade processing. The project has already mobilised more than US$150 million, with the long-term ambition of transforming Namasagali into a $10 billion science-and-innovation-powered city.
For farmers across Busoga, Teso, Lango and Bukedi, the stakes are personal. The plant will consume thousands of tonnes of cassava daily, creating a guaranteed market in a region where farmers have struggled with shrinking returns from sugarcane and unpredictable pricing.
President Museveni, who has championed industrial value addition for years, praised Dr Magoola for what he called “resilience and innovation,” and took aim at those who previously tried to derail his work.
“I want to congratulate Magoola as a very innovative young person,” Museveni said. “Africans don’t like innovation. They are used to sleeping. They don’t want new things. Africans need to critique themselves and support new individuals with innovative ideas. Even when I started fighting, some people thought I was mad.”
He went further, arguing that Uganda’s indigenous knowledge — often dismissed — is now proving its value to global partners.
“These Americans have come here to support this work. Now all these other foreigners should know there is ancient knowledge here, and this knowledge can help the whole world,” he said.
“Regarding cassava, all these are gold mines because they are needed in the world. This is all wealth. But Africans are sleeping.” Still, Museveni warned small land-holders not to rush blindly into cassava farming for industrial use, noting that profitability remains tied to land size and yields.
“We must be clear about the earnings per acre per year. If it’s not much, we shouldn’t repeat the mistake of sugar-cane,” he said.
“People with small land copied those with huge chunks of land.” For Dr Magoola, the starch plant is only the beginning. Speaking in the shadow of newly constructed warehouses and fermentation tanks, he outlined a series of projects underway at the industrial park — each one ambitious, each grounded in the belief that Uganda can manufacture what it once imported.
“We own a patent on a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine for the first time in the world,” he announced.
“We’re going to be able to supply foot-and-mouth disease vaccines on the African continent for the first time.”
He also revealed plans for a 1,000-bed hospital dedicated to sickle cell, cancer, and other genetic diseases. The facility will be equipped to administer a sickle-cell cure approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — a therapy unavailable in Africa due to its staggering cost.
Dei is also developing Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs — among the world’s most profitable medications because of their use in diabetes and weight management. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved their development plan, which Dr Magoola says could inject $15 billion into Uganda’s economy once in production.
“This is his vision,” Dr Magoola said of President Museveni. “He has guided me as a young boy when I went to him with an innovation to treat malaria, and he believed in me. When taken to the United States, the malaria drug was found to kill more parasites than known drugs on the market.”
He confirmed that government has committed over US$200 million toward Dei BioPharma’s flagship pharmaceutical facility in Matugga. Inside the political tent erected beside the plant, applause erupted as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, hailed the moment as proof of the ruling party’s campaign message.
“This place emphasises the NRM’s campaign theme of protecting the gains,” Kadaga said. “This is one of the gains we are protecting because this was not here previously.”
She urged government to fast-track a power line from Isimba to support the region’s expanding industrial base. As the ceremony wound down and villagers pressed closer to catch a glimpse of the president, the excitement in Namasagali was hard to miss.
For many here, the plant represents more than industrial ambition. It is a rare chance to climb the value chain — to turn what grows in their gardens into products destined for factories, pharmacies, and markets far beyond Uganda’s borders.
Whether the project transforms Namasagali into the scientific city Dr Magoola imagines will depend on investment, oversight, and time. But for now, the hum of machines in the new starch factory signals something powerful: a belief that Uganda can build — not just import — the future it wants.
In the 60s there was already a Starch Factory in Lira, what happened to it?
There was already a Cotton Spinning Mill in the same Lira, what happened to it.
In other words, after having virtually destroyed every Cash economic developments/foundations, by his predecessors: the Brits colonial period, Obote I and Amin (all RIP) respectively; ESPECIALLY the Cooperatives, which were the backbone of the CASH ECONOMY of Greater North and Eastern Uganda, our Megalomaniac, 85-years-old PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa has got into his head that Uganda began with him from 25th Jan 1986.
NYET!
E.g., together with the Uganda Railways and assets he succeeded in destroying the entire Cash Economy from the COTTON CORRIDOR, which ran from Kasese, Bunyoro, Busoga Bukedi, Teso, Lango, Acholi and West Nile Sub-Regions.
BUT, including land-grabbing; he made sure he forged, sustained, improved and/or the monopoly for his people the Balalo the cash economy from the CATTLE CORRIDOR, which stretches from Ntungamo, Rwakitura, Sembabule, Kiboga, Luweero to Nakasongola, as well crossed the Nile into Greater Northern Uganda. This is especially after decimating the cattle industry of that Region through: the slow but sure delayed tactics (sabotage) of the 20-year pretence to fight the LRA.
In other words, 40 years and counting there is even no compensation for the losses of livestock from the Greater North.
Lakwena, thanks.
Rwandese Museveni knows Ugandans want him, look up to him, reason they are alright with the tribalistic system, so he can do as he whishes!
Tribal leaders are silent just enjoying their pays, right?
The last time we heard was when one tribal leader said “Museveni should increase their pays”!
Would Museveni be assured of lifetime rule if Ugandans say NO to the tribalistic system & UNITE under just one of them & block him?
It took 20 years for developed world to open eyes, reason they didn’t assist in last fake presidential election, yet Ugandans are preparing for the next fake one to ensure Museveni is protected constitutionally, knowing no outsider will blame him for ruling since 1986!
Funny, Museveni doesn’t still see that he doesn’t need tribal leaders in posts any more & he can be a real dictator without paying them for doing NOTHING but making him a coward lame duck!
Some comments here show how confused Ugandans have become. They believe all the trash that is disseminated by opportunists. The article particularly highlights the danger of cultivation of low value crops at the expense of high value ones. It is even tougher now that Ugandan farmers have not yet reached the extent of advanced Mechanization that is required for such extensive agriculture. However someone here is lame ting about cotton and taking us back to the politics of identity of the 60s. Lord have mercy. This factory is a win for all Ugandans.
Fine Bruno, lets wait for the win. But YOUR WIN FOR ALL UGANDANS only has propaganda value, because it is a win for the FEW, at the expense of the rest of Ugandans taxpayers sweat and blood.
It was at the end of 1970, when Uganda came to a standstill. That was when quality education, health and public services also grinded to a standstill on Jan 1986.
I do not how old you are. But by 1965, Uganda was one of the fastest, rising and shining economy in the East and Central Africa such that: the current South East Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore benchmarked their Economic Development Model in Uganda.
And by 1986, while Mr. Museveni was jumping over the bloody dead bodies of Ugandans, in order enter our State House and in less than 3 years destroyed the Railways/Public transport; the Singaporeans were launching their mass conveyor city Metro Subway transport system.
Otherwise Bruno, after silk, cotton is probably the most expensive natural fibre for textile fabrics and was the Justification for the LINT MARKETING BOARD. Which is why China grab that industry with a bang.
In other words, except the problem of ignorance about value hierarchy, there is no such a thing as “… cotton taking us back to the politics of identity of the 60s. How much would BRUNO pay for a new cotton shirt, T-shirt, pants, Hotel and/or bathroom towels, underwear, bedsheets, etc.? GOLD!
The mess we are in was because, like a CURSE one after another, on the same day of January (Amin “25th Jan 1971” and M7 “25th Jan 1986”); the , criminal and diabolic selfish, bloody psychopaths took over power, drove and sunk the country into the abys we find ourselves in: Semi-illiteracy; mediocracy; incompetency; high indebtedness; debilitating CORRUPTION; widespread dehumanizing youth unemployment and poverty.