Govt bans sale of meat in Kampala

Thousands of jobs and livelihoods are in peril following government’s, as yet, unannounced ban on the trade in meat throughout Kampala to stem the spread of a deadly animal disease. 
A week ago, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF) decided on an immediate quarantine on livestock in the entire Kampala Capital City after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Rubaga Division late last month. 

READ: Teso sub-region: Where locals buy and sell meat ‘in the dark’

In a March 1 letter by the Commissioner for Animal Health, Dr Anna Rose Ademun, to the Executive Director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), the ministry prohibited movement of livestock in the country’s capital.  
A copy of the letter seen by Daily Monitor bears a stamp showing the communication was only received by KCCA yesterday, six days after the ban should have been in place. 

“Movement of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and their products and by-products from, to, through and within Kampala Capital City Authority, Kampala District is prohibited until further notice. Livestock markets, slaughter places, including butcheries, loading grounds and animal shows in the entire district are hereby closed with immediate effect,” Dr Ademun wrote. 
Dr Ademun directed all local governments within the city to ensure they enforce the directive. 

“The local government administrators, district veterinary officers, local councils, chiefs, enforcement personnel and the general public are requested to enforce quarantine restrictions as per the Animal Diseases Act. Cap 38,” she said. 
 Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease that causes blisters on an animal’s feet and mouth. The disease can also be transmitted to humans through direct or indirect physical contact.  

Eating meat from an infected animal can lead to infection. Children who get infected can get very sick, leading to death in some cases, while adults tend to suffer less severe symptoms. 
A confirmed FMD case was detected in Rubaga on February 28. 
The ban will affect livestock farmers around the country since Kampala is the main market for livestock products. Five of the country’s biggest abattoirs are found within the city. 

The deputy spokesman of KCCA, Mr Robert Kalumba, said KCCA is “working hand in hand [with other authorities] to enforce the decision made, which we believe is good for our residents”. 
Mr Kalumba said KCCA recognises the expected adverse economic impact on the meat sector, but said the safety of city dwellers comes first. The city itself would take a big revenue hit as it banks millions of shillings daily from levies paid by slaughterhouses. 

However, by press time there was little indication the ban is on. Butcheries around the city were freely selling meat all through Thursday. 
Also, the chairman of the Kampala Metropolitan Butcher Association, Mr Musa Ssenabulya, said they have not been informed of the quarantine order.
 “I am hearing it from you. If it is true, it would have a big impact on our business and the employment of our people,” Mr Ssenabulya said. 

All day yesterday many trucks carrying livestock were parked at the entrance of the main city abattoir on the Old Port Bell Road waiting for the animals to be offloaded for slaughter. 
In October last year, FMD broke out in 36 districts, mainly in the Midwestern cattle corridor. A quarantine order in place has had a devastating impact even as enforcement continues to be undermined by the clandestine movement of animals. 

Mass vaccination of animals ordered by the government is underway but faces many challenges, including the proliferation of what the Agriculture ministry says are fake vaccines. 
Last month, Maj Gen (rtd) David Kasura Kyomukama, the permanent secretary at MAAIF, put the economic impact of the outbreak at Shs1 trillion. 
On February 5, Cabinet directed the importation of 10 million doses of FMD vaccine. Agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze said the government also approved plans to create a revolving fund for the procurement of FMD vaccines. 

“[The Cabinet] approved a policy proposition that requires farmers to be paying for the vaccines while the government pays for the cost of vaccine administration, transportation and storage,” Mr Tumwebaze said. “…When the revolving fund has been created and adequate vaccine stocks have started coming into the country…proof of vaccination will be a pre-condition for any farmer to sell any animal and/or animal products”. 

According to existing laws, it is only the government allowed to import FMD vaccines. However, it can only buy vaccines to cover just 1.1 percent of the animal population at risk.

 Mr Tumwebaze told Parliament: “Our total susceptible animal herd that requires FMD vaccination as per current estimates is 44 million. This, therefore, requires an annual vaccine stock of 88 million doses for the bi-annual vaccination requirement at a cost of $2 (about Shs7,800) per dose. The financial implication for this translates into $176 million (Shs685.1b).” 

Meanwhile, the government has resisted pressure to liberalise importation of vaccines, insisting this would lead to an influx of fake ones. 
Unauthorised FMD vaccines cost between Shs2,000 and Shs4,000 per dose on the open market. 
Maj Gen Kasura told this newspaper in February that unauthorised FMD vaccines are being sold, something he said could lead to more risks and losses if wrong vaccines are deployed. 

“FMD is multivalent (appearing in many forms). You may even get FMD vaccine for one serotype and vaccinate your cows. It might not even be fake but you will be vaccinating against the wrong serotype,” he said. 
 In January this year, President Museveni said Uganda is collaborating with scientists in Botswana to develop an affordable FMD vaccine.