Leading animal health provider, ERAM Uganda Limited, will mark 30 years of operation on October 30, 2025, celebrating a journey defined by resilience, innovation, and growth.
The anniversary festivities will begin with the official opening of ERAM House, the company’s new headquarters located at Plot 3, Hoima road, Bakuli in Kampala. The event is set to be officiated by the minister of Animal Husbandry, Bright Rwamirama, followed by a lavish dinner at the Kampala Serena Hotel for the company’s partners and selected farmers.
Founded in 1995 by three veterinary professionals, Edward Muhingirwa, Dr Alice Hope Banga, and Dr Richard Mucunguzi, ERAM became the first veterinary pharmacy to be recognised and incorporated by the National Drug Authority (NDA).
The name ERAM is derived from the initials of its founders – Edward, Richard, Alice, and Money. According to Muhingirwa, the company was born out of necessity and a shared vision to professionalise animal health services.
“ERAM was formed out of survival mode. Grace, Dr Mucunguzi, our former partner and I had been dealing in animal health products in our different shops, but only came together to pool resources to buy animal medicine for proper discounts. Then National Drug Authority came about and set strict conditions for us to be operational,” he recalls.
“At that time, as we were still struggling, we did not have enough space to set our pharmacies, which was one of the requirements for operating. We had to register the company, get the license and better facilities, which we did by first basing ERAM in Container Village.”
Since then, ERAM has grown into Uganda’s leading distributor of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, equipment, and supplements, serving farmers across the country.
Dr Banga says this year’s celebration is not just about longevity but about recognising the farmers and communities that have supported them over the decades.
“The celebrations started some time back. We have been celebrating region by region,” she said.
“We were celebrating our farmers, training them more, and this will be just a climax. We want to celebrate our farmers who have been supporting us. We want to celebrate the general public because they are the ones who consume the products of the farmers; they are the ones who should really support the farming community because it’s that community that produces food. There is no reason for one to buy tinned meat and processed eggs when our own farmers are producing quality produce. We want to celebrate our dedicated partners who have been with us from the start to now.”
She adds that ERAM’s growth has been remarkable. “If you saw where we started from, you would not believe it. Apart from this home, we also have other establishments in Lugazi, a factory. While we started by sourcing, we are now at the stage of producing. So, such milestones are worth celebrating.”
However, the journey has not been without challenges. At some points, Banga says, they almost gave up.
“Edward and I were not qualified accountants, human resource managers, but we had to manage the company on our own. Other challenges like COVID-19, government policies that keep changing, high taxes that do not make the environment suitable for other players to join the business and grow, and so many,” she said.
Today, ERAM employs over 80 Ugandans, and according to Muhingirwa, the company’s ambitions extend beyond Uganda’s borders.
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