Sharifu's career started in 2009 at Makerere University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resource and Biosecurity where he worked as a research assistant until 2010. He then moved on to work as a Biomedical laboratory technologist in the same university and department from 2010–2012. In 2012, he worked at the Central Public health laboratory, Ministry of Health. In 2013, he took on the role of Executive Director for the Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation, Kampala. In the same year, he also took on the role of assistant professor at the Institute of Allied Health Sciences at Clarke International University, Kampala.