Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries-MAAIF has lifted quarantine restrictions on Nakaseke district exciting local leaders and pastoralists.
In 2019, the ministry imposed quarantine restrictions on Ngoma, Kinoni sub-counties and Ngoma town council following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
The ministry prohibited the movement of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and their products from, to, through, and within the affected areas as prescribed by the Animal Diseases Act. The quarantine left pastoralists and local leaders crying foul over loss of revenue.
Dr Anna Rose Ademun, the Commissioner of Animal Health in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has written to Nakaseke Chief Administrative Officer and other leaders informing them that the quarantine has been lifted.
According to her letter dated 29th July this year, Ademun said that due to increased community awareness about FMD and the strategic ring vaccinations carried in the affected areas, the disease has been controlled.
She added laboratory results of the sampled animals from the sub-counties under movement restrictions have also proved the same.
Ademun said that the quarantine has been lifted but on conditions that all livestock markets remain closed as per the Presidential directives on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and animals must be sold on farms with knowledge of veterinary officers as well as LCI chairman.
She also ordered that the animals must move on trucks only for slaughter purposes and should adhere to all FMD bio security measures.
Dr Lawrence Kisule, the Principal Veterinary Officer of Nakaseke district has confirmed a copy of the letter and said they are going to disseminate information to leaders in affected areas.
Kisule says that on Friday he is expecting to receive 10,000 doses to vaccinate heads of cattle in other sub-counties that include Kito, Kapeeka and Kinyogogga in the fight against FMD.
Kisule added that they are going to communicate fresh guidelines to pastoralists aimed at avoiding fresh outbreaks of the FMD.
Nayebare Kyamuzigita the Nakaseke Resident District Commissioner also asked pastoralists and veterinary officers to exercise responsibility so as not to plunge the area into a second quarantine.
Nayebare said although most veterinary officers had exercised professionalism, there is one who they are hunting for issuing illegal movement permits to cattle traders something that may lead to a fresh outbreak of the disease.
Fred Rwabirinda, the District Secretary for Production says that following the quarantine, each month, the local governments have been losing more than 11 million shillings from cattle markets.
Rwabirinda adds that this had crippled service delivery in the local governments as well as the district.
Sam Mubiru, a pastoralist in Ngoma town council says that residents in the affected areas depend mainly on selling animals and their products but the ban plunged them into abject poverty and this was worsened after imposing another lockdown over COVID 19.
Mubiru added that the lifting of the ban was timely because many of them had run out of options for survival.
Both leaders and residents say they are happy that the Ministry has lifted the ban to enable the pastoralists to earn a living, as well as local governments, to get local revenue.
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