Prof. Ogwang protests adjournment of Covidex ownership case

By Rachael Najjuma

6^th Dec 2021

Professor Patrick Ogwang, the brain behind Covidex, a herbal drop for treating viral infections including COVID-19 has protested the adjournment of a case in which activists want his company Jena Herbals Uganda Limited to remit all the monies collected from the sale of the concoction to the Consolidated Fund.

A group of activists including former Lubaga North MP, Moses Kasibante, Elvis Kintu Nsonyi, and Musa Muhammad Kigongo, a former Councilor in Bukomansimbi district sued Professor Ogwang together with Jena Herbals Uganda Limited indicating that the patent of Covidex belongs to Mbarara University of Science and Technology-MUST but not Jena Herbals Uganda.

They ran to the court shortly after the National Drug Authority- NDA approved Covidex on June 29th, 2021 as a supportive drug in the management of viral infections including COVID-19.

NDA also allowed Jena Herbals Uganda Limited to produce, sell and distribute Covidex at the height of increased COVID-19 cases in the country.

However, the petitioners through their lawyers of Mbabali and Company Advocates challenged the decision in the Civil Division of the High Court on grounds that the procedure leading to the approval was not only illegal, procedurally improper, and irrational but it was also prejudicial to public interests and taxpayers.

They submitted documents indicating that the patent of Covidex belongs to Mbarara University of Science and Technology-MUST but not Jena Herbals Uganda, depending on the June 14th, 2021 letter in which the Vice-Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology- MUST, Professor Celestine Obua stated that MUST is the intellectual property holder of Covidex since its research and development was done through its laboratory duly funded by the Government of Uganda and a loan from the World Bank.

The case came up this Monday morning for hearing before Justice Musa Ssekaana, the head of High Court Civil Division but the court clerk informed the parties that the judge away attending the induction of newly appointed Grade One Magistrates where he was representing the Principal Judge Dr Flavian Zeija.

As such, the clerk asked the parties including Ogwang together with his lawyer Richard Omongole and NDA lawyer including Leliah Katusiime, Patience Ngabirano, and John Kaddu to return to court on December 21st, 2021 for the hearing to commence.