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.
Odonga questioned why MAAIF is mandating cost-sharing for FMD while neglecting other highly lethal, trans-boundary diseases tormenting Northern Uganda.
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.
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.
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.
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.
