Emmanuel Katongole’s QCIL gets $36 million for new pharma plant in Uganda

Key Points

• QCIL secured a $36 million Stanbic Bank loan to build a second WHO-compliant production plant in Luzira, Kampala, expanding regional pharmaceutical capacity.
• The new facility will boost annual tablet output from 1.4 billion to 2.4 billion and introduce TB treatments and injectable drugs to the local market.
• QCIL posted a record 2025 profit before tax of $16.9 million on $73.5 million revenue, driven by operational efficiency and a one-off Zambia recovery.

Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL), a Kampala-based pharmaceutical manufacturer led by Ugandan pharma tycoon Emmanuel Katongole, has secured a $36 million loan from Stanbic Bank Uganda to build a second production facility.

This comes on the back of a strong fiscal year and marks a major step in the company’s plan to expand its reach across the region.

Stanbic backs QCIL’s expansion in Uganda

The new financing, arranged through Stanbic’s Corporate and Investment Banking arm, will go toward constructing a second World Health Organization (WHO)-compliant plant at QCIL’s existing site in Luzira, Kampala.

The plant will help reduce Africa’s heavy reliance on imported medicines, especially for conditions like tuberculosis, which continues to affect hundreds of thousands of people each year in the region. Currently, there is no local manufacturer producing TB treatments at scale.

Once operational, the facility will increase QCIL’s annual tablet production from 1.4 billion to 2.4 billion units. It will also allow the company to branch into new product lines, including TB treatments and injectable drugs—areas where local supply is often lacking.

“We’re expanding our capacity not just for Uganda, but for the whole region,” said Katongole, who is both co-founder and chairman of QCIL. “With Stanbic’s support, we’re better positioned to provide affordable, quality medicines while reducing the continent’s reliance on imports. Our mission has always been to make healthcare more accessible and sustainable.”

Uganda’s QCIL sees record earnings in 2025

QCIL currently manufactures a range of essential medicines, including triple-combination antiretroviral drugs, the antimalarial Lumartem, and generic treatments for Hepatitis B such as Texavir and Zentair.

Katongole, a well-known figure in East Africa’s pharmaceutical sector, owns a 2.79 percent stake in the company—equivalent to over 101 million shares. Under Katongole, QCIL has grown into Uganda’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer. With the new plant in the pipeline, It is looking to play a bigger role in regional healthcare and drug security.

Its planned expansion follows a year of solid financial results. In the 2025 fiscal year, QCIL posted revenue of Ush267.1 billion ($73.5 million), a slight increase from Ush265.3 billion ($72.9 million) the previous year.

While the revenue bump was modest, the company reported a record profit before tax of Ush61.4 billion ($16.9 million), helped by more efficient operations, a stronger product mix, and a one-off recovery of Ush3.5 billion ($1 million) from the Government of Zambia.