Govt distributes acaricides to 41 districts to fight tsetse flies

Rwamirama added that the government was facilitating district veterinary officers with motorcycles and other support to conduct disease monitoring and surveillance, including vaccinations and other measures to manage animal diseases.

Uganda had been largely free of tsetse flies since the early 2000s, but the flies have re-emerged, particularly along national parks, large water bodies and in communities living near national parks, according to Dr Robert Wangoola Mandela, the Assistant Commissioner for Trypanosomiasis in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Wangoola said the 41 affected districts are located in parts of Lango, Acholi, Karamoja, Ankole, Murchison Falls and some areas of the Buganda region.

Rwamirama warned veterinary officers against charging farmers additional fees for the acaricides, saying those found doing so would be arrested because such acts sabotage Government programmes. (Credit: Prossy Nandudu)

“The demand is high, but we started with six subregions; others will be catered for in the subsequent quarter of the financial year 2026/2027,” he added.

Commenting on the distribution, Komol Joseph Miidi, the Member of Parliament for Dodoth North in Kaabong district, said the re-emergence of tsetse flies could have been triggered by the recent dry spell that affected the country between July and September this year.

Wangoola said the acaricide is sprayed on animals, which act as mobile lethal baits. Tsetse flies and other pests, such as ticks, die when they come into contact with the treated animals.

The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, has handed over acaricides to 41 districts affected by tsetse flies, particularly those surrounding national parks.

The districts were represented by district veterinary officers and area Members of Parliament during the handover of Deltamethrin at the ministry offices in Wandegeya on Tuesday (October 6).

The acaricides are intended to help control tsetse flies, which transmit sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in livestock.

Animal husbandry state minister Bright Rwamirama said the ministry had enough acaricides to respond to the emerging threat posed by tsetse flies.

He said tsetse flies transmit nagana to animals, causing loss of fertility and death of calves. This affects the livestock subsector through economic losses arising from reduced production of beef and milk for both local and export markets.

Rwamirama warned veterinary officers against charging farmers additional fees for the acaricides, saying those found doing so would be arrested because such acts sabotage Government programmes.

He said farmers seeking the acaricides should report outbreaks to their district veterinary officers for action

Rwamirama added that the government was facilitating district veterinary officers with motorcycles and other support to conduct disease monitoring and surveillance, including vaccinations and other measures to manage animal diseases.

Uganda had been largely free of tsetse flies since the early 2000s, but the flies have re-emerged, particularly along national parks, large water bodies and in communities living near national parks, according to Dr Robert Wangoola Mandela, the Assistant Commissioner for Trypanosomiasis in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Wangoola said the 41 affected districts are located in parts of Lango, Acholi, Karamoja, Ankole, Murchison Falls and some areas of the Buganda region.

“The demand is high, but we started with six subregions; others will be catered for in the subsequent quarter of the financial year 2026/2027,” he added.

Commenting on the distribution, Komol Joseph Miidi, the Member of Parliament for Dodoth North in Kaabong district, said the re-emergence of tsetse flies could have been triggered by the recent dry spell that affected the country between July and September this year.

Wangoola said the acaricide is sprayed on animals, which act as mobile lethal baits. Tsetse flies and other pests, such as ticks, die when they come into contact with the treated animals.