Cabinet Appoints Christine Tashobya to Lead New Drug and Health Products Authority

What the report says

Cabinet has approved a new seven-member board to lead Uganda’s National Drug and Health Products Authority, a regulator created under the National Drug and Health Products Authority Act, 2026. According to Nile Post, the board will be chaired by public health expert Dr Christine Kirunga Tashobya, replacing the previous National Drug Authority framework that had been led by Dr Medard Bitekyerezo.

The appointment was announced in a statement on the outcomes of the 16th Cabinet meeting held on Monday, November 9, 2026. Nile Post reported that the new authority is intended to take over from the former National Drug Authority and operate under a broader mandate that goes beyond medicines to include medical equipment, diagnostic products, public health chemicals and cosmetics.

Tashobya is described as a medical doctor and public health specialist with extensive experience in health systems governance. The other board members named by Nile Post bring backgrounds in pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, finance, law, traditional medicine and consumer representation. They are expected to serve four-year terms, with the option of one renewal.

The change matters because it marks a significant shift in how Uganda regulates health products, with the new framework designed to strengthen oversight of items that affect public health. Nile Post also noted that the law repeals the earlier 1993 framework that governed the old NDA.