By URN
At least 400 goats have been killed in Kyangwali sub-county in Kikuube district by a strange disease. The most affected parishes are Buhuka, Butoole, and Kyangwali. The goats started dying last month.
The goats present symptoms like diarrhoea, coughing, sneezing, discharge from the eyes and nose, and breathing difficulties, leading to death. Some of these symptoms are associated with sheep and goat plague, which is a highly contagious animal disease affecting domestic and wild small ruminants.
Vincent Okumu, a farmer at Buhuka landing site, says last month he lost 40 goats to the strange disease.
He says currently they are too scared and concerned following the massive death of their goats.
Joan Atim, also from Buhuka landing site, says she has so far lost 30 goats, noting that the outbreak of the disease has economically affected them since most of them had invested in goat rearing.
Rogers Kugonza, a resident of Kiina village in Buhuka parish, Kyangwali sub-county, says he lost more than 40 goats and appealed for immediate government intervention to save the situation.
Joyce Nyandera from Kyabasambu village, also in Buhuka parish, echoed similar concerns, calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the livestock deaths. She wants the government to intervene by vaccinating the few remaining animals.
Emmanuel Bisemeza, the Kyangwali Sub-County LC3 Chairperson, says farmers in his sub-county are concerned and frustrated following the massive death of the animals.
Bisemeza says if the situation is not put under control, the yet-to-be-identified disease could spread to the whole sub-county.
He warns against the transportation of goats from the area to other areas within the district to avoid the disease from spreading to other sub-counties and other neighbouring districts.
Efforts to reach the Kikuube District Veterinary Officer (DVO) were unsuccessful as our repeated phone calls to his known number went unanswered. This is not the first time that goats have been dying in the Bunyoro due to strange diseases.
In July 2025, a mysterious disease killed more than 300 goats in Buseruka Sub-County, Hoima District. The worst-hit areas then included Lyato, Kasenyi, and the Fofo landing site. The symptoms were similar was is being witnessed in Kikuube district
Affected goats then exhibited symptoms such as diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, nasal and eye discharge, labored breathing, and swollen or sealed eyes.
In March 2021, an outbreak of the Goat Plague killed more than 200 goats at Mbegu landing site, Buseruka Sub-County, Hoima district.
Goat Plague is also known as peste des petits ruminants. The disease is characterised by the sudden onset of depression, fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, sores in the mouth, breathing difficulties and cough, foul-smelling diarrhoea, and death. Most of the goat farmers are forced to bury carcasses as people fear eating their meat.
In November 2021, over 300 goats were killed in a similar outbreak of Goat Plague (Peste des Petits Ruminants), a highly contagious viral disease affecting goats and sheep.
That outbreak was eventually contained through a mass vaccination campaign. Experts warn that most goats showing symptoms of the disease often die, making rapid detection and vaccination critical.
