By Johnson Kanyesige
Locals in Hoima City have continued to bear the poor state of meat, with animals currently being slaughtered from a filthy slaughter area which is located in Kiryatete East cell in Hoima East division.
The locals have continued to raise questions on why the modern abattoir project awarded to Chongqing International construction corporation-CICO contractors has stalled hence keeping them struggling with accessing clean meat around the city.
Morever according to the residents, the Hoima city authorities have failed to maintain the current slaughterhouse with lack of drainage channels and limited space for slaughtering of animals. The individuals who operate the old area say that the condition worsens during the rainy season.
The City authorities through CICO contractors commenced the construction works for the modern abattoir in July 2022 with the facility sitting on a 6-acre piece of land located in Bulera cell in Hoima East division. The authorities earlier noted the modern abattoir will comprise of specialized slaughter hall, modern slabs, hide and skin room, meat preservation unit, disposal and treatment of inedible and condemned animals’ unit, and collection unit for waste products among others.
The major aim of the new facility according to the leaders was to improve on the quality of meat being consumed by people in the area. However, three years down the road, this target is yet to be achieved.
However three years down the road, the goal of having an operation modern abattoir is yet to be achieved with several claims of lack of effective monitoring by the city leaders and missing of some elements during the preparations of the bill of quantities by the contractor something that led to the failure by the ministry of agriculture to approve the completion works of the new abattoir.
Some residents led by Fred Mujuni who operate businesses near the current slaughterhouse in Kiryatete say they are affected the strong bad smell that comes out of the area especially during the rainy season.
The residents say they are at a risk of contracting diseases and wonder the quality of meat they are currently consuming based on substandard area where it is being generated.
Brian Kaboyo, the Mayor Hoima City says the facility is in its completion stage and lacked a number of facilities like gate, house for the security man, the generator among others as guided
