By KT Reporter
Residents of Nadunget Town Council in Moroto District are appealing to the government to deploy a veterinary doctor to help them manage their livestock, citing heavy losses caused by unknown animal diseases.
The residents say the absence of a dedicated veterinary officer has resulted in the death of many goats, pigs, and cattle, while farmers struggle to access appropriate medication.
Nadunget Town Council currently shares a veterinary officer with the sub-county, a situation residents say is inadequate. Livestock keepers are forced to travel up to 30 kilometres to Moroto town to purchase veterinary drugs, often without knowing the exact illness affecting their animals.
They are now calling on the government to recruit a veterinary doctor specifically for the town council. Joyce Adiaka, a resident of Nakapelimen Ward, said she lost 10 pigs to an unknown disease despite having vaccinated them. Adiaka explained that the pigs were purchased using Parish Development Model (PDM) funds, and their loss has left her financially strained.
“I received PDM money and invested in a piggery project, but suddenly a disease broke out and killed all my pigs,” Adiaka said.
She added that accessing veterinary drugs requires travelling a 30-kilometre round trip to Moroto town, yet even then, farmers are unsure which drugs to buy or how to diagnose animal illnesses.
Adiaka appealed for a veterinary doctor to be stationed at the town council offices to enable farmers to receive timely help during emergencies. Another farmer, Emmanuel Lomuria, said he has lost 10 goats to unknown illnesses due to the absence of veterinary services.
Lomuria said farmers are left to “gamble” with animal health, with little control over the welfare of their livestock. “I have lost my goats simply because there is no one to help me identify the problem. There is no animal drug shop in this town council,” Lomuria said.
He explained that the goats gradually weaken, stop feeding, and die, yet post-slaughter checks show no visible damage to internal organs.
Lomuria called for at least one veterinary doctor whom farmers can consult for guidance on livestock management. John Loduk, a resident of Lorikwokwa Ward, said farmers are struggling to maintain animal health due to the lack of veterinary professionals.
Loduk said they often cannot identify illnesses or determine the correct medication, forcing them to rely on herbal remedies, which are sometimes ineffective.
He explained that Nadunget Sub-county previously had one veterinary officer, but after the area was split, the town council was left without direct coverage. Loduk appealed to the government to recruit a veterinary officer specifically for Nadunget Town Council.
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Meanwhile, Mary Goretti Longora, the LC5 female district councillor representing Nadunget Town Council, acknowledged that the lack of a veterinary doctor has caused widespread livestock losses.
Longora said that veterinary officers from Nadunget Sub-county occasionally extend services to the town council but are overwhelmed.
She revealed that in May 2025, a mass pig vaccination campaign was conducted, after which many pigs died. Longora said the cause of death remains unclear, though there are suspicions that expired drugs may have been used.
She alleged that the veterinary officer administered the drugs without explaining what type of medication was being injected. Longora reported that several residents lost pigs, including seven farmers in Lorikwokwa Ward, eight in Nakapelimen Ward, and others inNawanatau Ward. She appealed to the government to urgently intervene and provide adequate veterinary services to help residents protect their livelihoods.
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