Bwogi quit three jobs to do farming
By Grace Bwogi
Livestock farming and trading have become one of the most risky activities in Uganda due to a group of individuals who use big shots in government to foil any financial transactions happening.
They hide under the pretext of quarantine, arguing that your animals are coming from Tanzania and lacking paperwork among others.
They will eat into all your profit or end up eating all your stock if you don’t oil their pockets.
On 15th June 2020, I had a consignment of goats from my farm to another farmer in Lamwo district.
As usual, I spent half of the day chasing for lengthy paperwork for their travel from the LC1, Parish Chief, Police, DVO etc plus a letter of no objection from the DVO of Lamwo district.
They set off from my farm at 8:am sharp.
On arriving at Kyotera check point, a one informer by the names of Muhoozi alleged that the goats are from Tanzania.
The officers manning the Kyotera check point told him ‘we know this woman’s farm and even the tag initials on the goats are from her farm’.
He didn’t listen! He followed the truck up to Lukaya check point and filed the same allegations. I called in the DVO Masaka who knows me personally, but the same guy Muhoozi couldn’t listen in to him.
In minutes, I’m told the issue is now with the ‘Security Minister’.
My truck is held up at Lukaya check point from 11am as we wait for the “minister” to handle the issue!
At around 5:00pm, I talk to a one purporting to be a “Gen Tumwine”, who clears my truck to proceed at 5:30pm.
I still wonder up to now how a Security minister is involved in petty work of managing a livestock check point.
On interaction from farmers in the cattle corridor, they told me those guys have been disturbing farmers for years and they never involve the concerned parties like the DVOs.
Every time they are arrested, they are bailed out by somebody ‘from above’. Once it’s your bad day and they get you, their calls only end at calling “Gen Tumwine” on loud speaker to report a case of livestock entering Uganda through Tanzania if you refuse to pay a bribe of Shs400,000 and above. Some of the neighboring farmers I have talked to have narrated stories of extortion that have been going on for years from this group of thieves.
The good news is that after our outcry, these goons have since been arrested. They are now detained at Mbuya.This case is becoming big. I’m told many farmers inclusive of soldiers were suffering at the hands of these guys.
Another issue is the processing of paperwork to accompany movement of livestock. Can Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) come up and guide farmers on the necessary procedure needed to process the paperwork. The process has of late has become so lengthy, costly, tedious and not transparent. As farmers, we suffer a lot at the hands of these boys claiming to be sent by big shots above.
The author is a renowned livestock farmer majoring in goats.
Farmers should form a National Farmers Association capable of legally representing the grievances of it’s members. Membership should be by subscription. Benefits can include lobbying; advocacy and legal representation in matters gross misconduct/ abuse if power such as this case in point.
I think this form of injustice to the citizens is really unfair. We need to reorganize ourselves as farmers and we get ourselves a voice as farmers for example FARMERS VOICE. and thru this association we can be able to even come up with a bill on livestock and farming. This is really serous, Farming is the backbone of the economy and without food lives are in danger.
Otherwise Cong’s Grace for the efforts.
Hope they are truely detained and not just called back from field to station work. This act has even ended arresting the concerned veterinary officers of kyotera district due to the fact that they exercised their administrative duties well which was contrally to the likes of the so called Gen.!!!! Bantu mwe mujooga
We toil, for them to enjoy!!
You can not imagine many
Farmers are frustrated daily.
They own posh cars and fancy houses in
Wakiso, Kampala and mukono.
But they will carry nothing with them one
Day.