Butchers in Lugazi Municipality, Buikwe District are protesting the new rates for using the slaughter slab.
On Wednesday, Lugazi Municipality Assistant Town Clerk, Stephen Ziraba wrote to Lugazi Cattle Meat and Hide Traders Association notifying them about plans by the municipal council to take over management of the slaughter slab besides setting up new charging rates for each cow slaughtered.
Ziraba also directed the public health officer at Central Division, Muhammad Mubiru to take over the responsibility of collecting revenue at the slaughter slab and levy 10,000 Shillings for each cow and goat taken to the slab. Previously, butchers have been paying 2,000 Shillings per cattle slaughtered and 500 for goats.
Godfrey Kisitu, the Slaughter Slab Chairperson says the new rates are exorbitant and were set without consulting the leadership.
Kisitu notes that the municipality has been collecting revenue from the slaughter slab, but the facility is still in a poor state.
Apart from the small slaughter slab made of concrete, the rest of the area is filthy and lacks a drainage system and the lagoons cause a bad smell in the area.
Siraje Ssemanda, one of the butchers says unless the working environment is improved, they will not accept the new directives.
Ziraba defended the increment saying that they have been getting 700,000 Shillings from the slaughter slab each month instead of the proposed 3 Million Shillings.
The Central Division Chairperson, Lutajan Kamisi says that the slaughter slab should be renovated before the new rates are implemented.
-URN
