Nwoya is among the four districts in Acholi and Lango Sub-regions that was supposed to start evicting pastoralists who were illegally occupying government land following an order issued by Gen. David Muhoozi, the state Minister for Internal Affairs last week.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries-MAAIF has temporarily halted the eviction of
pastoralists from Nwoya District over a fresh outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Nwoya is among the four districts
in Acholi and Lango Sub-regions that was supposed to start evicting pastoralists
who were illegally occupying government land following an order issued by Gen. David
Muhoozi, the state Minister for Internal Affairs last week.
The first phase of eviction operation
codenamed, “Safisha Kilimo na Mifugo” targets pastoralists in Got Apwoyo Sub-county in Nwoya
district, Lakang Sub-county in Amuru district, Aswa Ranch in Angagura Sub-county Pader district, and Maruzi
ranch in Apac District.
But Nwoya District Veterinary
Officer Dr James Ukwir says that 30 per cent of the samples collected from
cattle in the district in December last year tested positive for Foot and Mouth Disease. Nwoya district has been under
animal quarantine since July last year after an outbreak of FMD in Lungulu, Purongo, Anaka sub-counties and Anaka Town that killed more than 20 cattle and infected a thousand others.
Dr Ukwir says that although they had
requested for the lifting of the animal quarantine, the fresh news of the disease
outbreak is a big blow to them and may see the quarantine duration extended together with the eviction of pastoralists.
//Cue in; “we vaccinated animals…
Cue out…from the lab.”//
Dr Ukiwr says that despite the
current outbreak of the disease, the district is unable to vaccinate animals
since it ran out of FMD vaccines in August last year. At least 5,000 cattle
were vaccinated against FMD in Nwoya district in August last year according to Dr Ukwir. He says with the new cases of the
highly contagious disease, it would be a breach of the animal diseases act to
implement the eviction of the pastoralists and their animals during quarantine.
//Cue in; “We don’t have…
Cue out…district during
quarantine."//
Dr Anna Rose Ademun, the Commissioner
for Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that there
will be no eviction of pastoralists in Nwoya until all infected animals are
treated against FMD.
She notes that a team of veterinary officials will be on
the ground in other districts where the eviction is scheduled to start to
conduct verification before animals are transported outside. Dr Ademun says the move will
help to curb the spread of the disease in other parts of the country where
there are no cases of Foot and Mouth Disease.
//Cue in; “therefore Nwoya with…
Cue out…undertake the eviction.”//
Dr Ademun acknowledges that the
Ministry has currently run out of vaccines for FMD citing supply challenges
caused by impacts of the covid-19 pandemic. She, however, notes that the Ministry
is expected to receive vaccines in the next two weeks which will be used to
vaccinate animals across the country.
//Cue in; “The whole world…
Cue out…make the vaccines.”//
Nwoya Resident District Commissioner
also the Head of the district security committee, Agnes Akello Ebong says they
are still conducting planning before coming out with a concrete position on
evicting the pastoralists. Amuru Resident District Commissioner
Osborn Oceng on the other hand says they will commence eviction of pastoralists
occupying government land in Lakang sub-county on Thursday.
Foot and Mouth Disease is a
contagious viral disease of livestock that affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats,
and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. It presents with symptoms of fever and
blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats, and
between the hooves of the infected livestock.
