A sample of Pastor Robert Kayanja’s Tickoff
The National Drug Authority (NDA) has revealed that all the samples of “TICKOFF” acaricide that is being promoted by Pastor Robert Kayanja tested positive of contamination with dangerous and banned chemicals.
In a statement dated 7th February 7, 2023, Abiaz Rwamwiri, the NDA Public Relations Manager, says the Drug Authority (NDA) on January 02 2023 learnt with concern the manufacture, distribution and use of “TICKOFF” a purported acaricide produced by CPM Wave that was first publicly promoted by Pastor Robert Kayanja at one of his services at Rubaga Church during the 2022 Christmas season.
“Pastor Kayanja is on record announcing that he, together with his other accomplices had come up with an “incredible organic” product that kills ticks instantly,” NDA says in a statement, adding: “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.”
According to NDA, Pastor Kayanja and his team 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 both NDA and Government Chemist Laboratories.
“All the samples tested positive of contamination with dangerous and banned chemicals that include;DIAZINON; a highly concentrated fumigant used to kill bedbugs, bats and termites; FIPRONIL; a spray banned for food producing animals because of long withdrawal period due to the potential risks it could have on human health and BENALAXYL; a systemic fungicide which is carcinogenic (Cancer causing potentials),” NDA says.
The above chemicals were being mixed with animal-feeds and “mukene” and packaged without any expiry date, ingredient information or warning. “After disclosing to Pastor Kayanja that his product was a counterfeit, he has since closed all communication channels and instead tried to blackmail our teams,” NDA says, adding that: “NDA condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of Pastor Kayanja for using his advantaged position to take lure desperate farmers when Uganda is faced with a challenge of tick-resistance. His intention was not only criminal but also intended to cheat Ugandans.”
While NDA works with police to hold Pastor Kayanja and his accomplices accountable for their criminal acts, NDA says, the public especially from the districts of Kiruhura, Lyantonde, Sembabule, Gomba, Isingiro, and parts of Karamoja among others where this product has been distributed are strongly warned against using “TICKOFF”.
“We hereby direct all farmers who had received supplies for product to drop at any police station for easy collection,” NDA says.
