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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hoima city authorities have earmarked shillings 4.5 billion for the construction of a modern abattoir to help improve quality of meat consumed in the city.
The city authorities have already purchased a 6.5 acre piece of land in Bulera cell Hoima East division where the abattoir will be situated.
The development comes after butchers and meat consumers in the city were unhappy with the appalling state of the current abattoir situated in Kiryatete cell Hoima East division.
The current abattoir lacks standard hangers and logs for slaughtered animals before and after the beef is weighed.
The slaughtering slabs have also cracked and the abattoir lacks drainage channels, which forces water to mix with animal waste, hence compromising the quality of meat.
Grace Mary Mugasa, the mayor Hoima city says all arrangements are being made to ensure that construction of the modern abattoir starts soon. According to Mugasa, the construction works could start four months from now adding that they are still in the procurement process.
She says the abattoir will comprise of storage facilities to avoid contamination and a collection center for waste products. It will also have a meat inspector, electricity and running water installed and a fridge for meat preservation among others.
The facility will have properly built and drained lairage erected not less than ten meters from the slaughterhouse and equipped with adequate facilities for ante-mortem inspection and isolation pens for suspect animals. A lairage is a place where cattle or sheep may be rested on the way to market or slaughter.
The abattoir according to the mayor will also have fenced cattle races from the lairages to the slaughter house, properly drained and in a suitable place equipped with facilities for washing the animals.
Mugasa says it will consist of a separate room for the storage, disposal and treatment of inedible and condemned animals, carcass and meat and also have a separate facility for handling hides and skins.
Abdullah Sempala, a butcher in Kiryatete says once constructed, the facility will improve on sanitation and more people who had abandoned consumption of meat due to the sorry state of the current abattoir will resume.
Godfrey Kutegeka, a butcher at Hoima central market is happy with the new development being undertaken by the city authorities in constructing a modern abattoir saying this will help improve on the quality of meat they will be serving to the people of Hoima.
Geofrey Tumwesige, a meat consumer in Kibingo ward in Hoima West Division says with the establishment of the new modern abattoir, butchers in Hoima city will be in position to supply the oil companies with meat since they will have improved standards.
Leonard Kaliisa, another resident says the establishment of the new abattoir is long overdue since the current one is in appalling state.
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