Lira butchers chairperson slams city leaders over abattoir conditions

23 September 2024, 6:44 pm

By Denish Ongora

The chairperson of the Lira Butchers Association has criticised Lira city leaders over poor sanitation at the abattoir.

A probe conducted by the finance and administration committee revealed that the abattoir is in a dilapidated state and no longer suitable for animal slaughter. It lacks water and electricity, and the land has been encroached upon, as Lira City Council lacks knowledge of its true boundaries, although the land is said to measure 15 acres.

The abattoir was originally designed to accommodate 5 to 8 cattle but now holds 20 to 30. On Sundays, up to 70 cattle are slaughtered, and on busier days, up to 100 animals are processed there.

The committee recommended that the mayor and his secretaries meet to find a way forward regarding the abattoir, aside from closing it. They have also been tasked with demarcating the abattoir land and working with private developers to improve the facility.

The chairperson of the Lira City Butchers Association, Okullu SP, accused Lira City Council of collecting shs 10 million in revenue every month but failing to improve the condition of the abattoir. Okullu stated that their efforts to urge Lira city to upgrade the facility have fallen on deaf ears.

He added that Lira city plans to award a contract to an individual to develop the abattoir for shs 200 million, instead of offering this opportunity to the butchers.

The chairperson of the finance and administration committee, Julius Peter Ocare Dyangcal, recommended at a council meeting on 18 September 2024 the need to close the abattoir and construct a temporary alternative slaughterhouse while awaiting the construction of a modern abattoir.

He stated that meat from the abattoir is no longer fit for human consumption due to poor sanitation standards.