MP’s new report on abattoirs in the country shows animal slaughter places never renovated

Parliament’s Health Committee has revealed that the Abattoir in Kampala which slaughters 400 animals daily, has never been renovated for over 94 years, since its initial construction in 1930.

The revelation was made by Samuel Opio (Kole North) who also doubles as Vice Chairperson, the Health Committee, during a meeting held with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health, to discuss the Committee’s findings following field visits conducted at abattoirs and various slaughterhouses in Uganda.

“Did you apply the risk-based assessment? Because when you go to Kampala, Masaka, when you look at those facilities, they are in a serious dire state itself. And we thought in your prioritization, those should have been the first because the Kampala abattoir slaughters about 400 animals daily, I think it is one of the largest but it was constructed in 1930, with not even a single renovation, not even the painting we could find has been done. How do you prioritize these projects and do you consider risk based assessment?” asked Opio.

Opio also asked the officials from the Government if they have laboratories where they test some of the condemned organs found in animals noting, “Do we have laboratories where samples can be taken? Because what we noted is they would simply be condemned, and that is mainly visual, but we didn’t find anywhere, where there is a lab-based inspection. Such that we can be able to identify and confirm what that particular infectious agent is”.

Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health admitted that Government doesn’t have laboratories to test samples from animals, but rather work with other agencies to conduct such tests.

“We don’t have laboratories as you said, but we work together for these cross-examinations. But we do have what we call one health approach method of working with our colleagues in wildlife, in agriculture, water and the environment. So that we keep track of what we are seeing and respond, especially what we call global health security so that we are on top of what is happening and the potential. Because once there is a spillover from animal to human would be so bad,” explained Kyabayinze.

During the meeting, it was also revealed that there are only 45 local governments with slaughterhouses, meaning the 131 local governments with MPs questioning the safety of meat slaughtered in districts without slaughterhouses.

“You have also indicated that we have about 45 districts with slaughterhouses, again that implies that we have about 131 local governments without slaughterhouses. That raises big concerns on the quality of the meat, where it is being slaughtered, who is inspecting and whether we are safe to have meat from some of these places eaten because it could be infected, they could be slaughtered in unsanitary conditions,” said Opio.