Published on 01/10/2025
National Medical Stores (NMS) has warned of a looming shortage of vaccines for children following the imposition of a 2.5 per cent Value Added Tax on medical supplies which took effect on 01 July 2025.
This revelation was made by the General Manager of the NMS, Moses Kamabare while appearing before the Committee on Health on Tuesday, 30 September 2025.
Kamabare who did not mention the exact amount of the tax arrears, said that the funds required are in billions of shillings adding that the NMS does not have a budget for such funds.
He said that whereas the vaccines have been in the stores since July this year, the National Drug Authority (NDA) is constrained to clear them for supply by the NMS because Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) requires tax clearance.
“We have written to URA and the Minister of Finance and we hope that we will get a way forward this week because if we do not get it, the entire country will run out of vaccines next week,” he said adding that, ‘childhood vaccines are from the NMS and provided for by government, even in private hospitals’.
Kamabare also called for creation of a formal, legally binding framework for collaboration between NMS, Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and other government regulatory bodies to eliminate redundant checks and streamline product clearance.
Kamabare singled out the delays faced in distribution of gloves and sutures, because they are regulated by UNBS.
“All these are emergency supplies; you can have sutures in the country and because they have not been approved by UNBS through URA, they take long to be distributed,” said Kamabare.
He said that if a framework is put in place, it will define clear roles, establish procedures for mutual recognition of inspections and test results, as well as create a single point of clearance for health products.
Kamabare also recommended that to further deter pilferage of government medicines and health supplies, the proposed law should introduce a penalty of Shs100 million on such offenders.
Obongi County Member of Parliament, Hon. George Bhoka called for urgent intervention from Parliament.
“The country is going into a crisis of lack of vaccines, not because they are not there but because they have not been cleared. We need to put the tax body to task to save the situation,” he said.
Hon. Isaaac Otimigiw (NRM, Padyere County) suggested that the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development needs to intervene and provide a solution to the looming crisis.
“We cannot have the vulnerable children running out of vital vaccines which even have a timeline for usage. I recommend that the Minister of Finance appears before the Committee tomorrow and tells us the way forward,” said Otimigiw.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Joseph Ruyonga pledged to have a meeting arranged between the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister.
