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Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL), a Kampala-based pharmaceutical manufacturer led by Ugandan pharma tycoon Emmanuel Katongole, has secured a $2 million senior secured debt facility as it moves to expand access to essential medicines across Uganda.
Making medicine more available all over Uganda
The money will help QCIL improve its supply chains and get its medicines to more people. The facility will provide working capital to expand the availability of critical drugs, from antiretrovirals to antimalarials, across both major hospitals and rural clinics.
Uganda’s public health system has seen major gains in the past two decades. Global data show that the number of children who die has dropped by almost two-thirds, and the number of people who die from AIDS has dropped by 60% since the mid-2000s. This progress has come about thanks to both government programs and private investments.
“Since our first investment in 2009, Uganda has made real progress in human development,” said Isha Doshi, CFO of TLG Capital. “This shows what happens when long-term capital is invested to make healthcare affordable and reliable. It delivers lasting results.”
QCIL empowers access to vital drugs
Founded in 2005, Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited manufactures a wide range of medicines, including triple-combination antiretrovirals, the antimalarial Lumartem, and generic Hepatitis B treatments such as Texavir and Zentair. Katongole, one of East Africa’s best-known pharmaceutical leaders, owns 2.79 percent of QCIL, equal to more than 101 million shares.
Under Emmanuel Katongole, the company has become Uganda’s largest drug manufacturer. For the year ending March 2025, QCIL reported a 22 percent rise in profits to Ush40.7 billion ($11.55 million), driven by steady sales and improved pricing. Gross profit rose 18 percent to Ush108.5 billion ($30.76 million).
The new financing is expected to improve delivery times, safeguard supplies, and help Uganda sustain hard-won progress against infectious diseases.
