Leonard Otika, the Lira City Environment Officer, says something had to be done about the stray animals on grounds that the City is not a place for keeping animals.
Lira City authorities
have imposed a Shillings 50,000 fine on each domestic animal found straying in
the city. The move stems from a public outcry in the high number of domestic
animals walking in the city, which at times destroy both private and the government
properties.
The animals mostly cows are also known for moving in large herds disrupting
traffic and destroying properties trees and flowers planted to beautify the
city. Between 2019 and 2020, the then Lira Municipality planted 1,990 trees in
the outskirts of the city under the Uganda Road Fund project.
However, about
1,791 trees were destroyed by animals. In 2020- 2021 budget cycle, the City planted 280 trees along newly built roads under the Uganda
Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development- USMID project. However, some
of the trees were also eaten by the animals while others dried up due to
the harsh weather condition.
Leonard Otika, the Lira City Environment Officer,
says something had to be done about the animals on grounds that the City is not
a place for keeping animals.“You see; a city is not a place for keeping animals because
these animals are left to roam around eating up the trees we planted to beautify
the city,” he said.
Adding that” The worst part is we have on several
occasions talked to the people who own these animals to take them away from the
city but they do not listen and that is why we are impounding them,” said Otika. He says each person whose animals is impounded pays a fine
of Shillings 50,000.
“You can imagine how much that will be if the same animal
is impounded like 10 times.This, I tell you is working because I’m seeing the
number of animals straying around reducing meaning they have started complying,”
he said.
Some city dwellers have welcomed the move, saying the
authorities are on the right track. Denis Odongo, a resident of Lira City, says
the authorities should have given the affected animals owners an ultimatum to
take them away before impounding, saying the current operation seems like an
ambush.
Eng byte:
//Cue in: “I think it…
Cue out: … of the city.”//
Mercy Akello, a vegetable vendor in Lira City, says that she witnessed a number
of her colleagues getting involved in accidents and some losing their
properties because of the stray animals.
She believes that the Shillings 50,000 is too little and wants it revised to
Shillings 100,000.
Luo byte:
//Cue in: “Dong tye nii…
Cue out: … dyang acel lak acel.”//
Sadick Okwir, who has five cows, wants the city authorities to gazette for them
a place where the can graze their animals instead of leaving them to roam
around the city. He says that some of them were born in areas where the city is
now meaning they have nowhere else to go or let alone take their animals.
