By KT Reporter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has honored a request by Katakwi District Councilors for support with livestock, delivering 41 in-calf Friesian heifers to the local leaders.
The request was made in November 2024 during the President’s visit to the farm of Vice President Rtd Maj. Jessica Alupo in Katakwi, as part of his Parish Development Model (PDM) monitoring tour in the Teso sub-region.
On April 16, 2025, Vice President Alupo officially handed over the heifers to the councilors at Ajesai Cattle Holding Ground, located in Ajesai Parish, Getom Sub-county.
Each councilor received one in-calf heifer as part of an initiative to promote wealth creation, household income generation, and nutrition improvement through dairy farming.
While delivering the animals on behalf of the President, VP Alupo urged the councilors to demonstrate leadership by embracing positive mindsets and promoting development within their communities. She emphasized the importance of household-level investment as a long-term strategy to eradicate poverty.
Geoffrey Omolo, the Katakwi District LCV Chairperson, welcomed the initiative, stating that such interventions empower grassroots leaders who are often overlooked in government programs.
Gabriel Omuge, a councilor representing Okulonyo Sub-county in Usuk County and one of the beneficiaries, praised the President’s gesture, noting that investing in local leaders would inspire the rest of the community to emulate and adopt income-generating practices.
He also appealed for veterinary support to ensure the health of the cows.
In response, Dr. Ariko Onyait, the District Veterinary Officer (DVO) of Katakwi, assured the councilors that his office, in collaboration with sub-county veterinary officers, would closely monitor the animals’ health. He announced plans to establish a WhatsApp group for real-time disease surveillance and swift response to emerging health concerns.
The distributed heifers, cross-bred at 60–65 percent, are expected to adapt well to the climate in Katakwi and produce an average of 10 liters of milk per day. The intervention marks another step in government efforts to link local leadership with income-generating projects under the broader framework of the Parish Development Model-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
