Africa-Press – Uganda. The Kasolwe Livestock farm in Kamuli District has stalled, five years after it was launched by Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope IV.
Launched in 2019, the Shs45b project aimed at revolutionalising livestock farming in the Greater Busoga, increasing resilience, wealth and positive livelihood outcomes among the small holder players along the livestock value chain.
It was also implemented to fight household poverty, raise household income in local communities and revolutionise agriculture for improved production, value addition and integration. It was hailed as a one-stop stock centre in the Busoga sub-region.
It was placed under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAIIF), and is being implemented by NAGRC&DB through its centre of excellence for livestock.
However, it hangs in balance and is fast becoming another dead project in the sub-region, with its woes prompting one of the local contractors for the construction of a hostel block to file a suit over nonpayment of Shs428.5m.
MS Jofah Associates Ltd, through its lawyers KBW Walubiri Advocates, have filed a demand notice to the executive director of National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB).
“Be aware of that additional claim to be sought in the suit for damages for breach of contract and interest since October 17, 2022, which will constitute loss of public funds and will solely be attributed to your refusal to pay; so stay warned,” the letter dated April 30, 2024, reads in part.
The Executive Director NAGRC&DB, Mr Peter Beine, however, on Monday said as a result of the non-release of funds, they have a debt amounting to Shs46.55b, which has not only affected their ability to breed cattle on a large scale and avail them to Parish Development Model (PDM) farmers, but also caused severe distress to infrastructural development, contractors and suppliers.
He assured the contractors that their services were “much appreciated” and promised that payment would be honoured as soon as the government released the funds.
This commitment is manifested in his communication to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) dated April 15, 2024, appealing for replenishment of Shs46.55b to vote 125 NAGRC&DB, and for additional FY 2023/2024 Quarter Four cash limits.
In his letter, Mr Beine attaches six references, including a June 26, 2023 directive from President Museveni to the MoFPED to “immediately release the promised funds”.
Mr Beine explained that the purpose of the appeal letter was twofold: first, to appeal for the release of Shs46.55b to avert an avalanche of litigations from indebted contractors and suppliers.
Secondly, he says it was to request for additional FY2023/2024 Quarter Four cash limits of unreleased Shs25.81b to enable the agency to meet its essential expenditures and mass produce of breeding stock and inputs for PDM farmers which, “when done, will give us a big relief.”
One of the contractors says if they had done shoddy work, they would be behind bars, but under “stressing conditions”, they did “quality work”, leaving them in debt.
Uganda’s ambassador to Russia, Mr Moses Kizige, who was one of the brains behind the project, says it was formulated to increase resilience, wealth and positive livelihood outcomes among the small holder players along the livestock value chain.
It was to also have an Artificial insemination (AI) satellite centre to serve the different AI sub-centers in Busoga sub-region with AI inputs of semen, liquid nitrogen, gloves sheaths and hormones, in addition to training farmers and students.
“The project was to offer refresher courses in advances in breeding technologies, and new technologies like use of sexed semen, synchronisation for AI using hormones, and use of disease diagnostic kits before breeding interventions, among others,” Mr Kizige said.
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