Musenero Defends Shs 8m Research Mice as Key to Billion-Dollar Drugs at Dei Biopharma

Dr. Monica Musenero Musanza, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, has hit back at critics over the Shs 8 million spent on four laboratory mice. She claims these rodents, now numbering over 160, were pivotal in developing billion-dollar drugs at Dei Biopharma.

Speaking at the launch of National Science Week 2026, set for April 30 to May 3 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Musenero said the STI Secretariat is prepared to showcase accountability for public funds. She invited Ugandans to see innovations moving the country from a peasant economy to a $500 billion powerhouse by 2040.

Musenero, previously scrutinized over Shs 31 billion for Covid-19 vaccine work, declared she can now hold her head high. ‘No longer will you ask about the Shs 8 million mice; I’ll exhibit a $1 billion drug from your support,’ she stated.

The four-day event will feature scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs displaying home-grown solutions in agriculture, manufacturing, and health. Attendees can interact with exhibits, including student-led climate-monitoring cameras and local manufacturers like Standard Waves Uganda for automotive parts and Uga Brush for cow-tail hair brushes.

A hackathon offers Shs 300-400 million in funding, with themes on accountability, investment, scaling, and family engagement. Initiatives like the Made in Uganda marketplace and Packaging Centre of Excellence highlight STI’s growing impact.

Undersecretary Peter Oryem called on investors to back science-driven ventures for sustainable growth over real estate.

Source: The Observer (Uganda)