KAMPALA, UGANDA: The National Drug Authority (NDA) has labelled as fake an acaricide named ‘Tickoff’ promoted by Pastor Robert Kayanja at his Rubaga Miracle Center Cathedral as an anti-tick drug that “kills ticks instantly.”
In a statement issued by the NDA Public Relations Manager, Mr Abiaz Rwamwiri; the counterfeit acaricide is said to have been manufactured and distributed by a company named CPM Wave Limited in partnership with the Rubaga Miracle Church lead pastor.
Rwamwiri says they came to know about the drug on a program by Pastor Kayanja on his Television Channel 44 where he said the drug was organic and kills ticks.
“You have cows? Stand up. You are struggling with ticks? You do? God is great. In this church, we have people who have come up with a solution. You will see no ticks on your farm… We are currently testing it on our farm. It is organic, it is incredible,” Pastor Kayanja is heard preaching during the Christmas festivities.
“Tomorrow come early…we will give you something to take so that you can apply for free. We want you to keep the data, you will not struggle again. God is great,” he added.
According to Rwamwiri, a team from police and NDA then reached out to the Pastor and his partners (Marvin Mukasa and Clinton James) who owned up the product and claimed they were working with another team of scientists from Makerere University School of Veterinary Medicine as the lead investigators.
“Our teams engaged and met with Pastor Kayanja and his partners (Marvin Mukasa and Clinton James) who owned up the product and claimed to have a team of scientists from Makerere University School of Veterinary Medicine who were lead investigators. NDA reached out to the said teams who confessed that they had never worked or reviewed anything from Pastor Kayanja or any of his associates.”
Rwamwiri says the product which has been distributed in districts of Kiruhura, Lyantonde, Sembabule, Gomba, Isingiro, and parts of Karamoja is laced with diazinon, a highly concentrated fumigant used to kill bedbugs, bats, and termites.
The product was also found to be contaminated with Fipronil, a spray that was banned for food-producing animals because of the long withdrawal period due to the potential risks it could have on human health in addition to Benalaxyl a fungicide which is carcinogenic and composed of cancer-causing components.
Incidentally, he says the senior pastor and his team however declined to disclose the ingredients of the product but NDA working with Uganda Police impounded over 100 samples from his church stores and took them to government chemist laboratories.
At the time of filing this story, the renowned Pastor was yet to release a comment on the developments.
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