Herbal researcher David Ssenfuka, the proprietor of Leonia-NNN Medical Research and Diagnostic Centre, has said he has instructed his lawyers to sue journalist and political commentator Andrew Mwenda over alleged defamation.
Addressing journalists on Friday, Ssenfuka said Mwenda’s recent remarks describing him as a “conman” were false, malicious and defamatory.
“I understand that under Ugandan law, words are defamatory if they tend to lower a person in the estimation of right-thinking members of society, expose him to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or injure his profession, trade or calling. In one stroke, my lifelong work was mocked as fraud. I maintain that Andrew Mwenda’s words are entirely false and without any factual or scientific basis,” Ssenfuka said.
Mwenda had previously criticised government support for local entrepreneurs, describing some of them as “conmen,” and attributed President Museveni’s economic decisions to his advanced age. He specifically referred to Ssenfuka as a “conman,” remarks that sparked controversy.
Mwenda has since publicly apologised to President Museveni over his comments.
Speaking on Friday, Ssenfuka said he has dedicated his life to researching natural medicine and the human body in an effort to help Ugandans battling diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.
“As the founder of Leonia-NNN Medical Research and Diagnostic Centre and LeonBiotec Foundation Ltd, I developed a natural medical solution that cures diabetes and cancer. It was tested through animal trials by the Uganda Natural Chemotherapeutic Research Institute at Wandegeya, whose scientific report confirmed that it demonstrated curative properties for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes,” he claimed.
Ssenfuka said that in July 2021, the then Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero, through the Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics, reviewed his project on the antidiabetic properties of the natural medicine and found it promising in the management of diabetes and cancer patients.
According to Ssenfuka, he subsequently received technical support for further testing and resource mobilisation.
“I worked closely with medical experts in cancer and diabetes and introduced them to the drug, with management yielding confirmatory results. Over time, I received numerous testimonies from patients whose diabetes or cancer had improved or resolved after using my medical solution, reinforcing my conviction in its healing properties and efficacy,” he said.
He added that in March 2023, together with a group of eminent Ugandans, he wrote to then US President Joe Biden and President Museveni seeking support for his diabetes and cancer innovation.
According to Ssenfuka, the US government later facilitated a visit by three American investors interested in the project, while President Museveni invited him to State House, Entebbe, where he briefed him on his research.
He further claimed that in April 2025, the Head of Public Service, on behalf of Cabinet, invited him and other researchers to present their work, after which the government agreed to support the project and provide capital for a world-class pharmaceutical plant to manufacture diabetes and cancer medicines.
“A delegation from the USA, following the letter written to President Biden, brought requests from American investors interested in my project. They have visited Uganda three times, and on each occasion they met the President with a proposal to buy the entire project. The President rejected the proposal, saying Uganda could not sell its treasure because the project belongs to Ugandans, not Mr. Ssenfuka,” he said.
Ssenfuka said he was shocked by Mwenda’s article published in The Independent, in which the journalist referred to him as a “conman.”
“Andrew was not an innocent reporter repeating other people’s views. He chose his own words, which had never before been used about me in the public domain, and published them to a wide audience. As a result, I have been lowered in the eyes of right-thinking members of society and have come to be regarded with hatred, contempt, distrust, dislike and ridicule,” he said.
He added that the publication had caused significant financial and reputational damage.
“International partners, donors, philanthropists and foreign governments that could have invested in my research have become hesitant. Members of the public have begun to criticise me, arguing that my innovation is a waste. This has turned my efforts from those of an innovator and patriot into those of a supposed enemy of the state, making it difficult for me to move freely and confidently in public,” he said.
Ssenfuka said his reputation and professional standing in medical research had been severely damaged.
“Instead of being known as the man who discovered a cure that could save millions, I have become, in many people’s eyes, a punchline and a joke, both in Uganda and abroad,” he said.
He added that the alleged defamation had caused him emotional distress, discouragement and uncertainty.
“This work is the passion of my life, driven by a desire to rescue my fellow countrymen from the burden of diabetes and cancer. The defamation has caused immense emotional harm and undermined the hope that sustained me through years of research,” he said.
Ssenfuka said he has instructed his lawyers, Onyx Advocates, to institute legal proceedings against Andrew Mwenda and The Independent magazine.
He is seeking Shs1.11 trillion (approximately US$300 million) in damages, arguing that the publication caused immense harm to what he describes as his billion-dollar medical research project and to the reputation he has built over many years.
