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The agriculture ministry (MAAIF) on Monday, March 11, 2024, halted the ban on selling meat in Kampala.

The ban had been instituted on March 1, 2024, following a reported case of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

Animal Industry state minister Lt. Col. Bright Rwamirama, in a letter dated March 11, 2024, to Kampala affairs minister Minsa Kabanda, clarified the quarantine restrictions that had been placed in Kampala City on March 1, 2024, by the ministry's animal health commissioner.

“The restriction was based on a report of a sick animal in one grazing unit in Rubaga Division on February 28, 2024,” Rwamirama writes.

He adds that the MAAIF technical team has since established that the disease is localised, and the sick herd has been treated and put under strict surveillance.

“Accordingly the guidelines for safe trade in animal and animal products in non-affected areas issued on February 2, 2024, shall apply to Kampala city, that is, Abattoirs operating in non-affected areas/sub-counties, shall continue operating to receive non-affected animals, as long as they do not come from or through affected areas,” Rwamirama adds

Rwamirama’s letter was also copied to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, the local government minister, permanent secretary of MAAIF, and the executive director of Kampala Capital City Authority.

MAAIF had, through animal health commissioner Dr Anna Rose Ademun, imposed a ban on the trade of meat in Kampala in response to an FMD outbreak report in Rubaga. This decision called for an immediate quarantine of livestock within Kampala.

The ban prohibited the movement of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and their products and by-products within Kampala until further notice. Additionally, all livestock markets, slaughterhouses, loading grounds, and animal shows in the district had been ordered to close with immediate effect. Local governments within Kampala were also asked to enforce these quarantine restrictions as per the Animal Diseases Act, Cap 38.

MAAIF noted that FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects animals, causing blisters on their feet and mouths. There is also a risk of transmission to humans through direct or indirect contact, including the consumption of meat from infected animals. The confirmed case of FMD in Rubaga on February 28 prompted swift action from the Government to prevent further spread.

On Monday, Kabanda said Nabbanja had halted the implementation of the ban, noting that the Government continues to assess the impact of the disease in the capital city. This followed an uproar from city traders dealing in animal-related products.

The Government has banned trade in animals, especially in the cattle corridor districts which has since been extended to over 40 districts following the outbreak of the FMD.