About us

Caring for life

At Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CiplaQCIL), we are not mere manufacturers of medication. What we make are memories. Memories that may not have been there to be remembered, had a life not been lived. We make people better and we save lives.

That’s why we don’t have a strategy, we have a cause. We don’t have a vision statement, we have vision.

Caring For Life

Vision

To become a centre of excellence in the manufacturing of quality, affordable medicines.

Mission

To provide affordable and efficacious medicines in a sustainable way, to improve the quality of life.

Standards

The plant has been designed to meet the world’s most stringent regulatory standards.

Values

  • Quality
  • Excellence
  • Accountability
  • Teamwork
  • Integrity
  • Customer Focus
  • Innovation
Who Are We?

Made in Africa, for Africa

CiplaQCIL is committed to making the highest quality, affordable, life-saving medicines because we want people to live a long and healthy life. We see a future where good health is expected – not for the few but for the many. That’s why we believe no-one should be denied access to essential medicine. We’re not just about making medicine, we’re about making a difference.

CiplaQCIL To Manufacture Lifesaving Medicines For The Ecowas And Zazibona Regions

Growth opportunities

CiplaQCIL continually strives to produce quality, affordable medicines that will meet the demands of the increasing African population. In addition to producing medicine to treat malaria, HIV and Hepatitis B, CiplaQCIL is exploring the production of medicine to manage the surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and cancer. In September 2018, following a successful Initial Public Offering, CiplaQCIL shares were listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange for the first time.

Corporate Culture

CiplaQCIL employs more than 350 permanent staff of which 38% is female. We are an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religious grounds, or nationality. We take immense pride in developing and training staff to empower them and enhance their ability to deliver the best results for the business.

Our Leadership

Board of Directors
Board Of Directors Executive Chairman Emmanuel Katongole
Board Chairman / Executive Director

Emmanuel Katongole

Mr Katongole was a Founding Chief Executive Officer of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited and was promoted to the position of Executive Chairman in November 2013. Previously, he served as Managing Director and shareholder of Quality Chemicals Limited (the local firm that partnered with Cipla to form CiplaQCIL). He has a wealth of experience in senior management and leadership positions.

Mr Katongole is also the Founder of Vero Food Industries – a food and beverage company; an independent Non-Executive Director of Barclays Bank (U) Ltd; Chairman of the Uganda National Oil Company and Chairman of the Advisory Board of London based TLG Capital Ltd. He is a member of the Initiative for Global Development (Frontier 100) – a prestigious group that joins the most successful business leaders operating in frontier markets.

In addition to numerous nominations, Mr Katongole has won several business awards. He was the East African Winner and representative at the 2013 Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Monte Carlo, bagged the 2012 Africa Business Leadership Award and the 2012 Africa Entrepreneurship Award.

He is a Rotarian who has steadily and diligently served as District Governor for Rotary District 9211 which comprises of Tanzania and Uganda and currently serves as Endowment and Major Gifts Advisor for Africa. He is a multiple Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation.
Mr Katongole holds a Master of Arts Degree in Economic Policy and Planning and
an Honours Bachelor of Statistics degree, both from Makerere University.

Board Of Directors Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director Ajay Kumar Pal
Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director

Ajay Kumar Pal

Ajay Kumar Pal is the CEO of CiplaQCIL, driven by the purpose of ‘Caring for Life’ by providing affordable, quality medicines that enable people make memories and live long, fulfilling lives. Ajay joined CiplaQCIL in February 2020 and was appointed CEO in August 2021. Leading to his appointment, Ajay was the Chief Operations Officer at CiplaQCIL. Prior to that he was the Senior Director: Head of Manufacturing, Cipla South Africa.

A heralded global leader with a 15-year track record in strategy development that delivers sector impact and business results, Ajay has a strong foundation in management, pharmaceutical manufacturing operations and cGMP systems with a broad understanding of business finance, P&L and lean concepts. With a ubiquitous need to never stop learning and a penchant for creative problem solving, he plans to ensure that CiplaQCIL meets the needs of its various stakeholders. The immediate priority of the business is to make it profitable, followed by a focus on sustainable and profitable growth, and to improve business agility. “I see a future of growth, where we can make a positive impact in people’s lives, all made possible by a team that are deeply driven and rooted in a culture of excellence, accountability, innovation and integrity.”

Ajay believes that the future for CiplaQCIL is becoming an agile brand which responds to change with great speed, thereby bringing solutions to Africa’s biggest disease burdens. “We will work hard to deliver value for our various stakeholders – staff, shareholders, consumers, healthcare professionals, and partners like governments.”Ajay holds a Master of Business Administration in Management and Leadership from Nelson Mandela University - South Africa and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) - India. He’s also received enterprise leadership training from the Cipla Leadership Ascent Program and a certificate in dIgital tech value creation from INSEAD Singapore.

He’s been on the frontline of implementing operational strategies that drive revenue growth and profitability. Outside of work, his greatest achievements have been completing a cycling event of 109km and a 10km obstacle course. He believes sport is a good way to train determination and resilience.

Board Of Directors Executive Director George Baguma
Executive Director

George Baguma

Mr Baguma is a founding Director and was also the founding Chief Commercial Officer at CiplaQCIL from 2000 to 2005. George is a former Deputy Commissioner at the Directorate of Animal Resources in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries in Uganda. Mr Baguma has a degree and postgraduate diploma from Makerere University and a master’s from Imperial College London.
Board Of Directors Non-Executive Director Paul Miller
Non-Executive Director

Paul Miller

Mr Miller was appointed CEO Cipla, South Africa in October 2013. Before that he worked for Mylan as Vice President and Managing Director in South Africa from 2008 to 2013.

He was based in China from July 2005, where he held the position of Marketing Director for AstraZeneca in China. He successfully built and launched brands that were market leaders in China in the areas of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory and anaesthesia.

Prior to this assignment, he spent four and half years within global oncology marketing based in the UK, first as a Strategy and Portfolio Manager and then as Global Brand Manager. This global experience allowed him to lead and deliver several innovative and novel programmes to support the US, Asian and European market launches.

Board Of Directors Non-Executive Director Mark Daly
Non-Executive Director

Mark Daly

Mr Daly has been with Cipla for more than 11 years, the majority of which in the Financial Director / Chief Financial Officer position. He is currently serving as the Regional CFO (including South Africa, East Africa private market and the Global Access Business). Within Cipla, he has held the positions of CFO and Executive Director of the listed entity before Cipla Medpro was sold to Cipla Limited (India). He was integral in the sale of the business and de-listing process while he was Financial Director at the manufacturing facility in South Africa and Company Secretary when the company was listed.

Mr Daly is a chartered accountant and holds a B. Com Honours degree in accounting from the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. He previously held managerial roles in the corporate finance and auditing departments of one the big account firms in South Africa and has also worked abroad in London and Mozambique.

Board Of Directors Independent Non-Executive Director Prof Peter Mugyenyi
Independent Non-Executive Director

Prof Peter Mugyenyi

Prof Mugyenyi has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB ChB) and a Doctor of Science(ScD(h)), is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI), and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh) (FRCP Edin). He is a Ugandan paediatrician, researcher and specialist on HIV/AIDS and related conditions. He was Executive Director of Joint Clinical Research Centre until his retirement. He was among the pioneers who introduced the widespread use of affordable ARVs in Africa, as well as the development of an effective model for scaling up ARVs in resource-limited countries.

Prof Mugyenyi has been a principal investigator on dozens of landmark research projects, funded by organisations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), European Union, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). His research and publications cover a wide spectrum of HIV/AIDS-related diseases and other medical conditions. Specific areas of his research include paediatric and adult HIV treatment, drug trials, HIV resistance, HIV prevention, immunological studies including HIV vaccine trials, pharmacokinetic, molecular and epidemiological studies as well as social and economic impact of HIV.

Internationally, he has served as a board member of several institutions and organizations in Africa, UK, India and the USA. Other roles include membership of various advisory boards including HIV Vaccine Trials Network, USA, Massachusetts General Hospital and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, USA and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 initiative to end the HIV epidemic, among others.

Board Of Directors Independent Non- Executive Director Joseph Baliddawa
Independent Non- Executive Director

Joseph Baliddawa

Mr Baliddawa is a former partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Africa (PWC), having spent 34 years with PWC in a variety of roles in UK, Zambia and Uganda. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), a Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (CPA) and a Founder Council Member of both the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda and the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA). He is a Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Mr Baliddawa has extensive experience in management and leadership roles, specifically in country management, formulating and monitoring the implementation of PWC’s strategic growth plan for Africa, risk, quality and compliance standards management and firm wide financial management and reporting.

Mr Baliddawa is a Ugandan national and is currently President of the Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda, Chair of the Audit Committees of the Commercial Bank of Africa, Alliance Africa General Insurance Limited and New Vision Group, and a Board member of all three organizations. He is Chair of the Uganda-Norway Friendship Association, a Member of the Council of Uganda Martyrs University and Chair of its Audit Committee.

He has received awards from the World Bank, national and international accountancy organizations and Lions Club International. He undertook his professional education at the London School of Accountancy obtaining membership of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Board Of Directors Non-Executive Director Geena Malhotra
Non-Executive Director

Geena Malhotra

Mrs Malhotra is the President and Global Head of Manufacturing Operations and Respiratory Centre of Excellence of Cipla. Prior to this role, she was the Global Head of Integrated Product Development of Cipla Ltd (Cipla) from 2013 to 2018.

She is a pillar of Research and Development (R&D) at Cipla and has spearheaded use of cutting-edge technology platforms, equipment, drug-device combinations, and targeted drug delivery dosage forms to fulfil unmet patient needs. She has to her credit, several patents in the areas of formulation development and technology in solid oral dosage forms, topical delivery systems and inhalation medical devices. She has provided technical leadership to multi-disciplinary R&D teams within a cross-functional environment to build and deliver a high throughput R&D with technology being the core focus. She completed her Bachelor’s in Pharmacy in 1985 in Mumbai and received her Executive MBA degree from Washington University, St. Louis in 2017.

She is a recipient of the Eminent Researcher Award by the Indian Pharmaceutical Association in 2007 and FDD Express Pharma Award for Outstanding Achievement in Formulation Development and Drug Delivery in 2017. She has also been honoured with the Indian Glory Award in 2017 by Indian Friendship Society and the Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Excellence Award in 2018 for outstanding and distinguished services to the nation.

Board Of Directors Non-Executive Director Stevens Mwanje
Non-Executive Director

Stevens Mwanje

Mr Mwanje is the Chief Financial Officer of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA).

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Edinburgh Business School - Herriot Watt University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Leicester and, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the Uganda Management Institute. He has undertaken Executive Management Training at the Strathmore Business School, The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and the Gordon Institute of Business (University of Pretoria). He is a Balanced Score Card Professional (George Washington University of Professional Studies). He has also undertaken various short courses in leadership, risk management, financial management, performance management and corporate governance.

Previously, he worked as the Head of Sales and Operations at NSSF and the Head of Commercial Division at Bank of Africa-Uganda Ltd, where he had also previously worked as the Chief Accountant and the Head of Internal Controls. He is a strategic leader responsible for providing direction and managing performance. He is known for being a changemaker with a history of structuring processes and building strong and motivated high-performance teams.
He is currently the Chairperson of the Board Audit Committee at the Entrepreneurs Financial Centre (EFC) and has served on the Board of Kampala Club Limited. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Kampala North.

Management Team
Board Of Directors Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director Ajay Kumar Pal
Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director

Ajay Kumar Pal

Ajay Kumar Pal is the CEO of CiplaQCIL, driven by the purpose of ‘Caring for Life’ by providing affordable, quality medicines that enable people make memories and live long, fulfilling lives. Ajay joined CiplaQCIL in February 2020 and was appointed CEO in August 2021. Leading to his appointment, Ajay was the Chief Operations Officer at CiplaQCIL. Prior to that he was the Senior Director: Head of Manufacturing, Cipla South Africa.

A heralded global leader with a 15-year track record in strategy development that delivers sector impact and business results, Ajay has a strong foundation in management, pharmaceutical manufacturing operations and cGMP systems with a broad understanding of business finance, P&L and lean concepts. With a ubiquitous need to never stop learning and a penchant for creative problem solving, he plans to ensure that CiplaQCIL meets the needs of its various stakeholders. The immediate priority of the business is to make it profitable, followed by a focus on sustainable and profitable growth, and to improve business agility. “I see a future of growth, where we can make a positive impact in people’s lives, all made possible by a team that are deeply driven and rooted in a culture of excellence, accountability, innovation and integrity.”

Ajay believes that the future for CiplaQCIL is becoming an agile brand which responds to change with great speed, thereby bringing solutions to Africa’s biggest disease burdens. “We will work hard to deliver value for our various stakeholders – staff, shareholders, consumers, healthcare professionals, and partners like governments.”Ajay holds a Master of Business Administration in Management and Leadership from Nelson Mandela University - South Africa and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) - India. He’s also received enterprise leadership training from the Cipla Leadership Ascent Program and a certificate in dIgital tech value creation from INSEAD Singapore.

He’s been on the frontline of implementing operational strategies that drive revenue growth and profitability. Outside of work, his greatest achievements have been completing a cycling event of 109km and a 10km obstacle course. He believes sport is a good way to train determination and resilience.

Management Team QA Manager Atul Vadepalli
QA Manager

Atul Vadepalli

Mr Vadepalli has been the Quality Assurance Manager at CiplaQCIL since 2007. Prior to this, Mr Vadepalli worked for Cipla India in the quality assurance department as from 2002. He has over 17 years of experience in pharmaceutical quality assurance and holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Pune University in India.
Management Team Company Secretary Doreen Awanga
Company Secretary

Doreen Awanga

Ms Awanga joined CiplaQCIL in June 2019. She holds of a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University and is a member of the Uganda and East African Law Societies. She is an advocate of the High Court of Uganda and an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). Prior to her appointment she was employed as a Legal Manager in the energy and media sectors.
Management Team Human Resources Harrison Kigundu
Human Resources

Harrison Kigundu

Mr Kiggundu has been the Human Resources Manager at CiplaQCIL since 2009. Prior to this, he worked for Uganda Breweries Limited, first as a brewer and then rose through the ranks to the level of Packaging Manager, Capability Development Manager and Human Resources Manager. Now with over 20 years of experience, Mr Kiggundu holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from Makerere University, a Diploma in Brewing from Herriot Watt University in the UK, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management both from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
Management Team Head Of Finance Frederick Andrew Kakooza
Head of Finance

Frederick Andrew Kakooza

Mr Kakooza joined CiplaQCIL in March 2020 and oversees the finance, tax and ICT functions of the company. He was previously the Head of Finance at Kampala Pharmaceuticals 1996 Limited (KPI). Prior to working at KPI, Frederick was the Chief Finance Officer and Financial Management Expert at Energy Utility Corporation Limited, Rwanda’s national electricity distributor. He has also held senior roles at Umeme Limited, Warid Telecom Uganda Limited, and MultiChoice Uganda Limited. Frederick started his career at Deloitte & Touché (Deloitte). Fred has over 20 years experience in Uganda and Rwanda, where he has built a strong background in strategic performance management and streamlining robust operations across the telecoms, utilities and manufacturing sectors.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Heriot-Watt University in the UK and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Statistics from Makerere University. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), Fellow of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (FCMA) and a Member of the Institutes of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya and Uganda.

Milestones & Awards

Winner

Best Reward and Recognition Award – Prudential Best HR practice survey 2021

Winner

Financial Reporting Award - Fire Awards 2021

Winner

Indian Business Forum Award (Contribution towards the Pharmaceutical/Health sector: 2018)

Winner

Landmark Africa Private Equity Deal of the Decade (Private Equity Africa: 2012)

Winner

Outstanding Achievement in development of the Pharmaceutical sector (Ministry of Health: 2012)

Winner

Investor of the Year (Uganda Investment Authority: 2007)

Winner

Africa Award for Entrepreneurship (Transformational Business of the year: 2012)
Manufacturing Excellence

WHO-compliant Facilities

CiplaQCIL’s goal is to produce pharmaceutical products of the highest quality that have zero environmental impact, adhere strictly to Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and numerous other international regulatory standards.

As the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in East Africa and also one of the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), CiplaCQIL is one of the few pharmaceutical manufacturers in SSA to operate a World Health Organization (WHO) cGMP compliant facility that manufactures a range of WHO pre-qualified medicines for treating HIV/AIDS and malaria.

ISO Certified

CiplaQCIL has gone the extra mile to get ISO certifications for Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001:2015). This helps CiplaQCIL to promote better and clear systems on environmental management and (ISO 45001:2018) Occupation Health and Safety Management Systems. We take pride in holding ourselves accountable against international Environmental Health and Safety standards.

Factory Tour

CiplaQCIL has been focused on aggressive market expansion in the past few years, and as a result, the company has been approved by national regulatory bodies across numerous African countries. It is also listed for approvals in many other markets, including South Africa – the single biggest market for antiretrovirals in the world.

The facility is approved for supply in 31 SSA countries and currently exports to 13 countries in Africa and two in South East Asia. CiplaQCIL’s manufacturing facility has also been expanded to increase production capacity from 80 million to 130 million tablets monthly to meet the demand.

CiplaQCIL commissioned a $10 million quality control laboratory – with state-of-the-art equipment such as extractors for drawing dangerous solvents off work benches, detectors that check air pressure and alert in case of leakages, conference rooms and training facilities – which was completed in December 2019. This facility is twice as big as the previous laboratory and accommodates more staff and ensures that the company is compliant with all safety and good laboratory practice requirements. The new facility has also helped to increase productivity and improve production timelines.

CiplaQCIL also constructed a new $5 million warehouse with 3000 sqm space to increase in-house storage capacity and discontinue the use of third-party warehouses. The warehouse has been operational since January 2019 and has the capacity for 5000 pallets.

Our Presence

Global Offices

Cipla Ltd.

Cipla House, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel,
Mumbai, 400013, India

Cipla South Africa

Parc du Cap Office Park,
Building 9, Mispel Street,
Bellville, 7530, South Africa

Cipla Kenya

Nivina Towers, 4th Floor,
Museum Hill, Westlands Road,
Nairobi, 46986 -00100, Kenya

Cipla EU Ltd.

Bourne Business Park,
Dixcart House Addlestone Road
Addlestone, KT15 2LE, UK

Cipla USA

10 Independence Boulevard,
Suite 300, Warren,
New Jersey, 07059, USA

Cipla Australia Pvt. Ltd

Level 1, 132 Albert Road,
Victoria, 3205, Australia