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Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr. Alice Veronica Lamwaka, the lead researcher and inventor of the Covilyce1 herbal concoction for treating coronavirus diseases, has lost essential research materials in a bitter land row.
The affected research materials include African bamboo among other natural weeds, trees, and plants. It was destroyed by Moses Lam, who is embroiled in a dispute with the researcher over a piece of land in Senior Quarters in Gulu City.
Dr. Lamwaka, a senior lecturer in the faculty of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Studies (PharmBiotec) at Gulu university told URN that Lam last month destroyed the natural trees and weeds, which are essential herbal research materials for herbal medicine. She explains that Lam claimed that the area where she planted the materials belonged to him and wanted them off his land.
Dr. Lamwaka, who resides in the area, says that she spotted the herbs and fenced off the area to secure them for her research work and production of the Covilyce1 treatment for the coronavirus disease treatment and other 200 diseases.
The bitter rows between the two, which has dragged on for over five years led to the arrest of Lam thrice.
It took the intervention of the fourth division army commander Brig. Gen. Bonny Bamwiseki, Sheikh Musa Khalil, the Vice-Chairperson of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), and Acholi elders to mediate the conflicts.
Sheikh Musa Khalil disclosed to URN that together with other elders they were able to initiate peace among the two through dialogue and pleaded with Lam to allow Dr. Lamwaka to use his piece of land for the research works and developments.
He explained that during the mediation meeting, Lam said that he was yet to accept to offer the land to Dr. Lamwaka. Lam`s lawyer, Julius Ojok, said that the matter was yet to be decided by his client after a thorough consultation.
The land in question initially belonged to the government but it was later leased out by the then Gulu Municipal Council to the sitting tenants.
Charles Odora Oryem, a retired Agriculturalist also asked Lam to be considerate for mankind and allow Dr. Lamwaka to use his property for the research works.
The Covilyce1 remedy, according to its manufacturers, is believed to have healed more than 100 COVID-19 patients since its invention in August last year. It is currently awaiting clinical trial.
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