Andrew Mwenda arrived at Dei BioPharma’s pharmaceutical plant in Matugga as a sceptic. He left acknowledging he had been wrong. Standing before journalists after touring the government-backed facility last Friday, the veteran journalist and political commentator admitted that his earlier criticism of scientist Dr Matthias Magoola had been made without first examining the evidence. “I am not an expert in the pharmaceutical industry. However, everything I have seen here is impressive,” Mwenda said after inspecting the plant. “What Magoola is doing looks great, and the facility is highly equipped.” The admission marked a dramatic reversal for one of Uganda’s most influential public commentators. Only weeks earlier, Mwenda had publicly described Magoola as a conman, questioning the government’s decision to invest hundreds of billions of shillings in Dei BioPharma. He also suggested President Yoweri Museveni’s judgment may have been affected by age for supporting such projects. The criticism drew an unusually direct response from the president. In a public letter, Museveni challenged Mwenda to investigate the matter before passing judgment. “You are supposed to be a journalist,” the president wrote. “Why do you not interview these ‘conmen’ such as Magoola, Senfuka, etc.? They are here in Uganda. They are where you can reach them and even the assets they have put on the ground. Visit Magoola’s factories in Matugga and Kamuli.” Mwenda accepted the challenge. Addressing guests during Friday’s visit, he said journalism demanded fairness before condemnation. “Beyond being a journalist, I also believe in the principles of natural justice, which dictate that you should not act as a judge and prosecutor in the same case, nor judge someone without listening to them. I came here to watch, observe, listen, learn and understand,” he said. The conversations he held with Dei BioPharma’s scientists and management appeared to reshape his view. “I spoke to the staff, including a young pharmacist with a doctorate, and the chief executive officer,” Mwenda said. “They are highly educated and gave me convincing explanations of their operations. I am inclined to believe that investing in a project like this can be beneficial for the country.” Andrew Mwenda interacts with workers at Dei BioPharmaHis reflection went beyond the factory floor. Mwenda questioned whether his initial scepticism had been influenced by what he described as a deeply ingrained tendency to doubt African innovation. “I questioned whether my initial scepticism was a symptom of a colonized mindset that struggles to accept that a black man can start a company destined to become worth billions of dollars,” he said. Referring to what he called “epistemic violence,” he argued that Africans often undervalue the achievements of fellow Africans. “I am willing to give Magoola the benefit of the doubt. I am inclined to disregard instincts that stem from a history of mental conditioning.” He recalled telling Magoola that had the same pharmaceutical venture been led by a white entrepreneur with a predominantly white scientific team, many critics would likely have accepted its ambitions without hesitation. Citing Elon Musk and Bill Gates as examples, Mwenda said he realised he had unconsciously applied a different standard to a Ugandan scientist. “I initially wondered how it could be that after 100 years of global scientific research, it is Magoola from Busoga, from Kamuli, who is inventing this,” he admitted. “I realized that I was undermining and underestimating him simply because he is a Ugandan, a black man from Kamuli who studied at Busoga College Mwiri.” He then publicly apologised to Magoola. “I want to apologize for mischaracterising you,” Mwenda said. “I apologize for making a judgment about you without even talking to you. I apologize for making accusations against your work without visiting your plant. I ask for your forgiveness.” Despite his change of heart, Mwenda argued that the government’s commitment to pharmaceutical manufacturing would amount to little if public institutions continued importing medicines instead of purchasing locally produced drugs. He criticised the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Cancer Institute and the National Medical Stores for relying on imported medicines. “If the government cannot provide a domestic market and act as the primary buyer for these products, the investment strategy falls short,” he said, urging public institutions to prioritise locally manufactured pharmaceuticals. Mwenda also defended the scale of public investment in the project, arguing that the potential returns could outweigh the initial costs. “The company has the potential to generate annual revenues of $50 billion,” he said. “If we support him and he successfully produces even a single drug that earns Uganda an annual revenue of $20 billion, or even if it only captures 20 per cent of what the major American companies earn, which would be $10 billion, that completely justifies the initiative. Against those kinds of returns, a $400 million government investment is highly practical.” For his part, Magoola said Dei BioPharma has developed more than 100 patents covering biologic medicines, including therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines and advanced vaccines, technologies that are not currently manufactured anywhere else on the continent. “For the first time, we are ensuring that Uganda becomes the first African country to manufacture these biological drugs,” he said. The company expects its Matugga facili- ty to create more than 40,000 direct jobs, with a planned second plant in Kamuli projected to generate another 50,000 over the next decade. Magoola also credited President Museveni with persuading him years ago not to sell his pharmaceutical research to foreign companies. “He told me never to sell it, warning that doing so would betray the African cause,” Magoola said. Dr Patrick Wakida, chairman of the company’s board of governors, said the government owns a 9.4 per cent stake in Dei BioPharma, with the remaining shares held by Magoola and private investors.The post From ‘conman’ to conviction: Mwenda’s U-turn on Magoola appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.