Robinah Kafuko, a resident of Buyengo trading center says that she has so far lost five goats to the strange disease. She says that despite isolating the infected goats and treating them outside the main herd, the disease has spread to the rest of the animals.
Speaking to URN on Saturday, Rajab Kiito, the Public Relations Officer Jinja city, said FMD is mainly affecting pastoralists who graze their cattle along different streets within the city.
According to the residents, the latest incidents occurred on Monday last week and Tuesday night where the cows destroyed several acres of their crops. This prompted the residents to impound over 200 head of cattle and held them at Kavule primary school playground insisting that Kalangwa compensates them for the damage.
Three of the cages have been totally submerged. The affected reptiles include two Egyptian cobras, three vipers, six pythons, an unspecified number of chameleons, four monitor lizards and other wild animals such as monkeys that are stuck in their cages.
John Wanade, the Bulambuli District Commercial Officer, says although the military detach at Kata bordering Bunambutye and Kapchorwa district has helped to curtail the thefts, they need a permanent solution.
Tilapia lake virus has been reported in countries like Kenya, and Egypt where it is believed to stop fish multiplication resulting into fish depletion from the lake and farms at large.
The abattoir employs 56 butchers who have scaled down on the number of slaughtered cows due to poor hygiene. According to the butchers, the number of livestock slaughtered at the abattoir has reduced from 10 to 5 daily.
Edison Birema, the Otuke District Police Commander, says the hunt for the suspect cattle rustlers is ongoing. This the sixth time Otuke district is recording cattle raids by the suspected rustlers since the beginning of this year involving not less than 50 animals.
Robert Abak, the Otuke Resident District Commissioner told URN they have deployed both the Anti- Stock Theft Unit police personnel-ASTUS and UPDF soldiers to track on the suspected rustlers.
This is the second time the group is rustling cattle from this same Sub County within a space of one month.
Last year, Lira municipality got stuck with over 70 animals mainly cows that were impounded from the streets. The owners were later fined between Ugx 20, 000 and 100,000/= Emmanuel Ocen Oyuku, Lira municipality deputy Town Clerk said they have resolved to auction stray animals.
