Kitgum nodding affected families reject gov’t heifers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Families affected by the mysterious nodding syndrome in Kitgum district have rejected 168 heifers meant to support their households. They say that the animals, procured by the Office of the Prime Minister under the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF III), were substandard.

The heifers were procured as part of the restocking program for distribution to nodding syndrome affected families in the Sub Counties of Labongo Amida and Labongo Akwang. It is hoped that the animals will contribute towards improving their nutrition and food security.

However, Labongo Akwang Sub County Chairperson Charles Oyoo Adot says the beneficiaries rejected the animals saying they were of poor quality, undersize and unhealthy.

Lucy Acan, a beneficiary from Okidi village in Labongo Amida Sub County says that although the procurement contract agreement valued each heifer at 1.1 million Shillings, the physical outlook of the animals doesn’t conform to the value and cost on the local market.

Acan says that some of the animals were too small and bonny which caused suspicion that the heifers could be infected or that the supplier did not follow the guidelines as stipulated in the agreement.

According to the contract documents, the supplier was required to supply local short horn East African Zebu heifers within the age of 2 to 3 years, certified against tickborne diseases, trypanosomiasis, anthrax and other livestock diseases besides ensuring that they are all ear tagged.

Kitgum Resident District Commissioner William Komakech concurs with the beneficiaries that the distribution is halted because giving out poor quality animals could frustrate the program goals and objectives.

Komakech has now issued directives to the supplier to return the rejected heifers and replace them with quality animals as specified in the contract documents.

Repeated pleas by the supplier, Lira Resort Company Ltd, to explain the distribution of the animals on the ground that the procurement specifications were followed were to no avail as the beneficiaries maintained that the supplier breached the procurement contract agreement.

Ambrose Enyangu, a representative of the supplier says that the company incurred numerous costs during the procurement process citing; transport, movement permits, market dues, loading fees, treatment, and ear tagging which are all embedded in the 1.1 million shillings cost for each heifer.

The heifers worth over 250 million Shillings were to benefit 56 nodding syndrome affected households in Labongo Amida Sub County and 112 households in Labongo Akwang Sub County.

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