Journalists through their umbrella body of the Uganda Journalists Association have threatened to drag the government into Courts of Law, should it fail to recognize, promote and support local scientists like Dr. David Ssenfuka, who are making wonders in discovering medicines that are curing chronicle diseases like Cancer and Diabetes.
In a petition written to President Museveni, the journalists said it is very unfair to give investors like Pinnete huge funds and leave out people who already have tangible results.
“We want Mr. David Ssenfuka’s herbal medicinal discovery formula to acquire patent rights with aid of the government to be able to protect them well and highly improve the medicinal products that have changed Uganda’s research status in the arena of herbal research treatment in Africa and beyond for avoidance of fake duplications, but also to enable the government to realize much reasonable tax revenue collection,” they said
Mathias Rukundo, the president of UJA said that there have been several evidence and some testimonials saying that indeed scientists have developed drugs that are treating chronicle diseases.
“We ask the president to render all the necessary support required to enable this innovation to attain the recognition required. It is our considered opinion as journalists to render sincere service to the Country to inform you of the truth which we are saying to you. Unbelief is responsible for our misfortune as a third-world Country and our role is to break the good news to you,” he said
He added that there are other individual players that have contributed to the discovery of herbal medicines and should be recognized as it will motivate many new discoveries in herbal science.
An example at such, they named Prof. Patrick Ogwang of Jena Herbal Products was rewarded for his COVIDEX medicine which is helping in the treatment of COVID 19 and other related diseases, “Dr. Kyewalabye, so should David Ssenfuka for his Cancer and Diabetes treatment medicines,”
They said that government should also recognize scientists that collaborated in discovering the therapeutic properties of this herbal medicine, noting Dr. Grace Nambatya, Director of Research at the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute.
“We want Dr. Nambatya and her team to be allocated a certain monetary benefit for their intellectual contributions as a way of recognizing their efforts but also promote their achievements worldwide as a way of appreciating their noble contributions of discovering the novel therapeutic properties of Ssenfuka’s herbal medicine,” he said
Rukundo asked president Museveni to underscore the importance of this innovation and give it his direct executive oversight.
“His direct supervision will invite hard work, dedication, and timely delivery of the much-desired results of availing standardized drugs to the waiting public,” he said
“We implore the president to recognize these local innovators for we know so well that such monumental recognitions are an incentive to Increased productivity and engagement, national satisfaction and sense of pride, Country loyalty and retention of quality inventors,”
These conclusively called upon the president to fascinate the idea of recognizing all the scientists that were at the heart of this discovery who were led by Dr. Grace Nambatya but also in a special way honor David Ssenfuka with not only national honors but with monetary benefits and privileges befitting men of valor like him.
“We want to inform you that we promise to take the Government of Uganda to court should it continue to neglect this innovation and or continue its sabotage. Yours sincerely, Mathias Rukundo, UJA President,” they said
