Ssenfuka says his innovation has previously received support from Uganda’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and was presented to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Cabinet. He maintains that the article unfairly portrayed him as a fraud and cast doubt on years of scientific research and innovation.
While announcing the legal action, Ssenfuka addressed journalists and displayed framed photographs, which he said were linked to patients and individuals associated with his work, as part of his effort to defend the credibility of his research.
The lawsuit stems from an article published in April in The Independent, which Ssenfuka claims contained defamatory statements that caused substantial financial and reputational damage. He argues that the publication discouraged investors and collaborators who had shown interest in supporting his projects.
The case is expected to spark renewed debate over alternative herbal medicine in Uganda, media responsibility when reporting on medical innovations, and the legal standards required to prove reputational and financial harm in defamation cases.
The High Court will determine whether the publication was defamatory and whether Ssenfuka is entitled to the record-breaking compensation he is seeking.
Natural medicine researcher David Ssenfuma has sued journalist Andrew Mwenda for alleged defamation, seeking about Shs1.08 trillion in damages. Ssenfuma says statements describing him as a conman scared away potential investors & undermined efforts to advance his cancer research pic.twitter.com/WO2EBBN6eO
— UBC UGANDA (@ubctvuganda) July 3, 2026
