The prosecution told the court that on January 31st, 2023 while on Lake Kwania in Kwania district, the accused persons were found in possession of prohibited fishing nets and operating without a fishing license contrary to Section 197 of the Fish Act.
Timothy Kasule, the Luwero District Senior Veterinary Officer has written to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries alerting them about the outbreak and requesting vaccines to control the spread of the disease.
In 2019, the National Agriculture Advisory Services- NAADs through Operation Wealth Creation donated a tractor to farmers in Tisai sub-county but the district has since failed to deliver the tractor because there is no road.
“Farmers have continued to suffer the effects of climate change yet the dam was constructed to mitigate the same. The problem is that farmers were not sensitized on the benefit of this dam," he said.
Parliament issued the directive following a report tabled by the Nyabushozi County legislator, Wilson Kajwengye indicating that tsetse flies have for the past five years affected an estimated 100,000 head of cattle.
Ben Chilakol, the Tisai Island Sub County Chairperson, says that they don’t have social amenities such as schools, health facilities and clean water. Chilakol says that every time they ask for infrastructure, issues of access to the area come into play.
Bosco Waca, whose house was set ablaze claims that he lost Shillings 3 million and other valuables in the burnt house. “It upsets when you see your house set ablaze early in the morning when people are still sleeping. I have lost my money and where do they want me to go with all these siblings?” he asked.
Located at Pamba ward in Katakwi Town Council, the abattoir has two solar-powered boreholes, feeding troughs with fly-proof nets, incinerator, refuse pit, store, offices, four stance toilets, bathroom, meat rails and four holding grounds for cattle, goats and sheep.
Apophia Nayebare, a milk trader in Kampala, says if they increase the price of the milk beyond Shs1,400 per liter, they risk losing their customers, yet the margin is very small, less than Shs 100, before deducting other expenses.
Movement on livestock and livestock products into and out of these districts or through to other districts is immediately banned. Restrictions on the movement of livestock have also been imposed on another 24 districts, including Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono, which are named among the areas at a high risk of an outbreak.
NOGAMU says that they are targeting to establish atleast 100 smallholder organic farms across the country in the new year, a means of widening production of certified organic products for the international market.
Uganda earns about $60 million from organic agricultural production, out of the global market of $100 billion annually.
Babra Akao, also a farmer neighboring Ogwang’s farm says livestock farming is a good investment but a capital-intensive enterprise. She appealed to the government to extend restocking programs to areas where they have not reached in order to empower the common man.
The equipment was donated to farm groups when Kapelebyong was still under Amuria district- under the commercialization of agriculture project managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in 2016/2017 Financial Year.
The overall objective of the deal is to contribute to household economic empowerment through promotion of agro-industrialisation, community mobilisation, mindset change, value chain development and food security
Under the scheme, a first-time farmer is supposed to pay 33 per cent of 450,000 and the government tops up the remaining balance. In the second season, both government and farmers pay 50 per cent of the money and at the third season, governments pay 33 per cent while the farmer takes the bigger share; 67 per cent of the payment.
Peter Tibwaboas, the Commandant of the Fisheries Protection Unit in charge of Apac district, says although the majority of the fishermen are complying with the standard operating procedures, there is another group that has totally failed to comply.
Dr. Rogers Kalanda, the Northern Uganda Veterinary Inspector under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries revealed that the personnel in the affected districts have been acting for more than five years. District Veterinary Officers are typically responsible for organizing and operating animal health and protection services.
