Mityana seeks land for permanent slaughterhouse after railway eviction
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Mityana Municipality has budgeted Shs150 million to acquire land for a permanent slaughterhouse and set up a temporary slaughtering site, after butchers and livestock traders were evicted from Uganda Railway land.
Mityana Municipality is searching for land to build a permanent livestock slaughterhouse after butchers and livestock traders operating on Uganda Railway land were evicted, Nile Post reported. The eviction disrupted businesses and threatens the livelihoods of traders who depended on the facility for daily income.
Affected traders have criticised local leaders for failing to secure an alternative location before the eviction, arguing that the lack of arrangements has exposed them to financial loss. Some are still looking for premises from which to operate.
Mayor Faustin Mukambwe Lukonge said the municipality has started identifying suitable land and has allocated Shs150 million in the current financial year's budget towards acquiring it. He acknowledged that the eviction took place before an alternative site had been secured.
"We recognise the challenges the traders are facing following their eviction, and we are working towards securing land where a permanent slaughterhouse can be established," Lukonge said, adding that sites are being assessed against public health, hygiene and animal-handling standards.
In the interim, a temporary slaughtering site has been established so that butchers can keep operating, and the municipality says it will monitor activities there for compliance with hygiene and sanitation rules. The council now has to turn the budget allocation into a working facility for the meat trade.