Five officials, including three from Busia District and two from the National Medical Stores (NMS) have been arrested and are being investigated for possible negligence after medicine worth hundreds of millions of shillings were drenched in rain.
The consignment of medicines which includes anti-malarial, and HIV/Aids kits among other vital drugs was meant for Health Centre IIIs in the district.
Michael Kibwika, the Busia Resident District Commissioner (RDC), confirmed the arrest of the five officials including the District Health Officer (DHO), the cold chain official, District Coordinator NMS and two other NMS officials.
Kibwika said over the weekend they were arrested and detained at Busia Central Police Station pending investigations into acts of negligence.
After their arrest by police officers in plainclothes, the suspects were whisked off to Busia Central Police Station in a Ministry of Health departmental car.
Julius Tusingwire, the Bukedi South Region Police Commander, Didas Byaruhanga, the Busia District Police Commander, and John Mulimba, the Minister of State for Regional Cooperation, joined efforts to establish who might have been complacent on the job and whether the drugs are safe.
According to Mulimba, the medicines are very delicate and were supposed to be kept under “certain conditions” but when they are exposed to sunshine and later left under rain, he got “worried”.
