KAMWENGE District has been hit by a drastic increase in the number of tsetse flies, exposing both humans and livestock to the dangers of sleeping sickness and nagana respectively.
The District Entomologist, Geoffrey Tumwesigye, said last week that the number of tsetse flies in Kamwenge have equalled the record of the 1960s when the Government had to come up with a massive spraying exercise.
“We are actually alarmed by the numbers of tsetse flies present in some parts of the district. We are in great danger unless action is taken fast against these insects,” he said.
Tumwesigye said that the most affected areas are Mahyoro Sub-county in and around Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kahunge Sub-county in around Kibale National Park and in Nyabbani Sub-county, which has large numbers of cattle.
“We usually lay tsetse traps in the field and these days you can catch up 16 insects per trap per day. This density is very high and dangerous to animals and humans,” he said.
Tumwesigye attributed the increase in the number of tsetse flies to the fact that after the implementation of the decentralisation programme, the central government left tsetse control to the local governments, which hardly have any money for that activity.
