A nationwide Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) mass vaccination drive is underway, with a sensitization campaign launched in Kitgum District ahead of the exercise by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The strategy marks a fundamental shift in national animal health policy, moving from emergency outbreak response to a compulsory, sustainable cost-recovery scheme.
Under the new model, livestock farmers must pay a direct fee for each vaccine dose to create a revolving fund aimed at eradicating the disease over the next decade. Previously funded entirely by the government, the nationwide vaccination campaign will now split the financial burden.
MAAIF will fully cover all logistical expenses, including the procurement of high-potency quadrivalent vaccines from international producers, cold-chain infrastructure, regional distribution, and the facilitation of veterinary extension workers, while livestock owners are required to pay a subsidized fee of Shs 8,000per dose for cattle and pigs, and Shs 4,000per dose for goats and sheep.
Because the FMD vaccine only protects for six months, vaccinations will occur biannually, scheduled nationally for July–August and January–February. Consequently, a farmer will need to budget Shs 16,000 annually per cow and Shs 8,000 per sheep or goat. However, Alex Tabu Odongo, a prominent livestock farmer from Pandwong Division, called the 8,000 UGX fee “unrealistic” given high regional poverty levels, warning it could sabotage poverty alleviation goals.
“The argument is not because people don’t want to pay. A wealthy farmer can afford to vaccinate 150 cows at a go, but what about the poor one who received government restocking just yesterday and cannot even afford 8,000 shillings for their five cows? Our veterinary officers are going to confront very harsh, resistant people on the ground,” Odongo said.
Odonga questioned why MAAIF is mandating cost-sharing for FMD while neglecting other highly lethal, transboundary diseases tormenting Northern Uganda. “Why don’t you take an interest in Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and Black quarter? Black quarter is rampant and kills our animals here, especially during the dry season. If we vaccinate against FMD and then Black Water comes and kills the cows anyway, the farmer loses everything,” Odongo said.
Odongo also argued that the timing of the campaign is suspicious because it comes at a time when the government is restocking cattle in Acholi, Lango, and Teso subregions, and could be using the mandatory vaccination to recover the billions of shillings it will spend on the restocking program.
He cited that given the 112,454 cloven livestock in Kitgum, the government can raise Shs 1.4 billion annually from farmers in the name of buying FMD vaccines, which, to him, is cheap in neighboring Kenya. However, Godfrey Kahuta, the Assistant Commissioner for Veterinary Public Health, responded that, “This is not revenue collection.
The payment is made through your phone directly to government banks, including Pearl Bank and Housing Finance Bank. This money will be kept in the Bank of Uganda to replenish and buy the vaccine for the next six months, creating a revolving fund.”
Kahuta explained that while FMD is a highly infectious, transboundary disease capable of shutting down national meat and milk exports, diseases like East Coast Fever (ECF) and Black Water can be managed and treated locally by individual farmers using standard commercial veterinary drugs.
Regarding complaints about the vaccine cost, Kahuta explained that the vaccine is imported, and its price is determined by the producer.
Dr. Charles Oryem, a Senior Veterinary Officer at MAAIF, emphasized that FMD vaccines are strictly controlled by the central government to ensure quality control against the specific viral serotypes actively circulating in the region, unlike other vaccines handled by the private sector.
Richard Canodonga, the Kitgum District Secretary for Production, praised MAAIF for arriving proactively before an active FMD outbreak devastated local herds, and said livestock farmers can afford the vaccine. “You are not poor if you have two cattle that cost over a million shillings each. What you can do is just sell one chicken to save the life of the expensive cow,” Canodonga said.
Joseph Okidi, the Assistant RDC of Kitgum, announced a zero-tolerance policy regarding the misappropriation of vaccine stocks, warning extension workers against diverting government vaccines to unauthorized private sales. “If you are targeted to vaccinate 300 legally registered animals but you only do 100 and take the remaining vaccine to sell to unregistered private farmers for cash, that is the beginning of your problems,” Okidi said.
National guidelines dictate that registration is strictly required, as only vaccinated animals will be issued official movement permits and allowed access to livestock markets moving forward. Despite local pushback on pricing, Kitgum authorities pledged to ensure total compliance.
“Modernity has come, and we need to adapt. We shall get on the ground to ensure that we mobilize our people massively so that they turn up for this very important event.”
The ministry has reportedly secured 50 million doses at its stores in Entebbe to cover the country’s estimated 44 million susceptible animals, as it attempts to completely eradicate FMD in the country in 10-15 years, so that livestock farmers can freely trade with international markets that offer better prices-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
