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Frank Tumwebaze, Agriculture minister (Parliament photo)
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By Our Reporter
PARLIAMENT - Uganda’s Parliament has raised concerns over the Ministry of Agriculture's Shs15 billion Goat Roll-Out Project (GRP), citing the high cost of goats and the alarming death rate of animals distributed to farmers. The project, initiated in 2021, aimed to provide exotic and local goats to farmers across seven districts, including Gomba, Kyankwanzi, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola. However, out of 850 goats distributed, 409 died within the first week, according to findings by the Auditor General.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairperson, Muwanga Kivumbi, presented these revelations while discussing the committee's report. MPs criticized the Ministry for the excessive spending on the project, with the Ministry paying Shs7.4 million for each exotic goat and Shs400,000 for local breeds. Kivumbi condemned these figures as inflated, especially given the poor health of the goats upon distribution.
"The average price per goat was over-exaggerated in the considered opinion of the Committee," said Kivumbi. He added that Sembeguya Estates Uganda Ltd (SEUL), the company contracted to deliver the goats, had previously failed in similar projects, yet it was awarded the contract. The Committee recommended that SEUL be blacklisted for causing financial losses and requested two additional months to investigate the project further.
Muwanga Kivumbi presented these revelations while discussing the committee's report (Parliament photo)
The goats were distributed under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry and SEUL in April 2021. However, the Ministry acknowledged that many goats succumbed to a viral disease known as Pestes de Petite Ruminatia (PPR), or Goat Plague. The Ministry suspended the project to conduct epidemiological investigations, later launching vaccination drives to contain the disease.
Despite this response, the Committee found the Ministry’s actions to have come too late, blaming the lack of due diligence on the adaptability of the animals to the locations where they were distributed.
Minister Bright Rwamirama (Parliament photo)
According to the Auditor General's report, all 150 goats distributed in Nakasongola, worth Shs52.5 million, had died. In Gomba district, 259 of the 700 goats distributed had died, representing a 37% mortality rate, and a loss of Shs90.7 million. Kivumbi concluded, "The Ministry of Agriculture needed to have done proper due diligence to determine the adaptability levels of the animals. The investigations were carried out too late, and the project has caused a significant financial loss to the country."
Parliament is expected to decide on further investigations into the project, as questions linger over the management of funds and the overall feasibility of the Goat Roll-Out Project.
Torch Media Africa
