At
sunrise in Kayunga District,
Sarah Namuli kneels between rows of lemongrass on her small private plot. She
crushes a leaf between her fingers and inhales deeply. “This plant treats
coughs,” she says. “And now it pays school fees.” For Sarah and thousands of
rural households, medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are no longer just part
of tradition — they are part of survival.
This year's World Wildlife Day on the 'Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods' is a stark reminder for Uganda to reflect on the human and ecological values, opportunities they offer and constraints faced by these important resources.
Across
Uganda, plant-based medicine remains central to everyday health care. The World
Health Organisation estimates that approximately 80% of people in developing countries rely on traditional medicine, which is largely derived from plants (WHO, 2013). Uganda’s own National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan III (NBSAP III) acknowledges that approximately 80% of Ugandans depend on indigenous medicine,
underscoring the social and economic importance of medicinal plant species
(NEMA, 2025).
Radio and
Television-based advertisements confirm a surge in enterprises that prepare different
MAPs-based medicines, beverages and food additives. It is very common to watch
such adverts on popular FM stations and TVs in Kampala. Elsewhere, adverts by
traditional healers are pinned on electric poles and
buildings across public places in many cities and towns, listing the number of
ailments they can “treat” using herbs.
However,
there are challenges in this
as practitioners have to seek approval
of the Council under the Traditional and Complementary Medicines Act (2019). This
Act regulates the sector and prohibits practitioners of traditional medicine
and complementary medicine from advertising their practice unless the contents
of the adverts are authenticated and authorised by the council.
Nevertheless,
during the COVID19 pandemic, many families in Uganda had to fall back on nature
for potential cough solutions through the use of plant concoctions.
In
addition, the use of MAPs for religious and cultural purposes remains strong. In my
community, the incense tree (Muwafu / Canarium
schweinfurtthii) is much sought after as its resin is highly
commercialised. This has resulted in one of the mature trees being heavily debarked
and has literally dried up. Cinnamon (Budalasini/ Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is
another tree that is literally commercialised, as its bark and leaves are
used to flavour tea and for culinary purposes. The good news is that it is now
increasingly planted as a backyard tree or intercropped with other crops.
Scientific
studies show just how rich Uganda’s ethno-botanical knowledge is. Research in
central Uganda documented over 130
medicinal plant species used to treat more than 50 ailments (Tabuti et
al., 2012). In Rukungiri District,
48 plant species were recorded for malaria treatment alone (Asiimwe et al.,
2023). A broader survey across 10 districts identified more than 120 species
used in cancer management (Omara et al., 2023).
Yet there
is a serious concern: nearly 90% of
medicinal plants traded in Uganda are harvested from the wild, rather
than cultivated (NEMA, 2025). This places enormous pressure on forests,
wetlands, and grasslands — especially as commercial demand grows.
Opportunity on Private
Land
For
private landholders like Sarah, MAP cultivation offers three major
opportunities.
First, income diversification. Lemongrass,
aloe vera, moringa, eucalyptus, African basil (Mujaaja) and rosemary can fetch higher returns per
kilogram than staple crops, especially when processed for culinary purposes, essential
oils or herbal teas.
Second, climate resilience. Many MAP species, like
aloe vera and cactuses, tolerate drought and poor soils, making them suitable
for marginal land increasingly affected by climate variability. Lemon grass is
an excellent plant for soil and water conservation on bunds - holding rainwater,
giving it time to penetrate the soil.
Third, value addition and enterprise development.
With basic drying racks or small distillation units, farmers can move up the
value chain and access niche natural health and cosmetic markets. This is key
in improving livelihoods while promoting conservation of useful plants and the ecosystems
in which they thrive.
Where
farmers organise into cooperatives — as emerging groups are doing in Wakiso and
Kampala — they improve bargaining power
and quality control.
Constraints and
Conservation Risks
But
expansion without structure is risky.
Farmers
face unstable markets, limited
technical guidance, and inconsistent quality standards. Land tenure insecurity
discourages investment in perennial species. Most critically, unsustainable
wild harvesting threatens species such as Prunus africana and Warburgia
ugandensis, both under conservation concern (NEMA, 2025).
Uganda’s
NBSAP III (2025–2030) directly addresses these risks. It calls for sustainable
use of biodiversity, domestication of high-value species, equitable benefit-sharing
and strengthened biodiversity monitoring systems (NEMA, 2025). The strategy
aligns Uganda with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and
provides a clear policy anchor for conserving medicinal plants while promoting
livelihoods.
A Clear Call to Action
Uganda
stands at a decisive moment.
If MAPs
remain largely extractive, biodiversity loss will accelerate. But if
cultivation, conservation, and commercialisation are aligned, medicinal plants
can anchor a green rural economy.
Here is what must happen:
- Domesticate priority medicinal species on private and community land to reduce forest pressure.
- Invest in farmer training and extension services focused on propagation, sustainable harvesting, value addition and quality standards.
- Strengthen cooperatives and traceability systems to ensure fair pricing and market access.
- Implement NBSAP III commitments fully, linking biodiversity conservation with rural enterprise development.
Sarah
looks across her plot and says quietly, “If we protect these plants, they will
protect us.” She is right. Uganda’s medicinal and aromatic plants are not just
economic commodities — they are living heritage. Conserving them is not
optional. It is a responsibility owed to future generations.
References
- Asiimwe, S. et al. (2023). Ethno botanical survey of medicinal plants used in malaria treatment in Rukungiri District, Uganda.
- National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). (2025). National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan III (2025–2030).
- Omara, T. et al. (2023). Medicinal plants used in cancer management in Uganda.
- Tabuti, J.R.S. et al. (2012). Traditional medicine use in Uganda.
- World Health Organisation (WHO). (2013). WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023
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