State Minister for Veteran Affairs Lt Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama has called for a quarantine as foot and mouth disease continues to kill cattle in Isingiro, Mbarara and Kiruhura districts.
The infectious and sometimes a fatal viral disease has haunted the districts over the last two years andLt Col Rwamirama, who is also the Isingiro North MP, told journalists that a quarantine is the only way to control its spread.
The minister also castigated local politicians who incite people to defy quarantine leading to further spread of diseases, and death of livestock.
Earlier Minister for Agriculture Vincent Sempijja said they have mounted roadblocks in the affected areas to monitor nomadism to prevent affected animals from the neighbouring Tanzania from entering Uganda.
Mr Sempijja said government will continue vaccinating animals.
Last year, government imposed a quarantine in the affected districts but later lifted it. State Minister for Animal Industry Joy Kabatsi then said the disease originated from Isingiro District where farmers were reportedly smuggling in animals from Tanzania.
Kabatsi faulted authorities in the respective districts for failing to implement a directive to vaccinate all animals brought into the country.
More than 350,000 cows have died since Foot and Mouth Disease broke out in several parts of the country in October last year.
The disease was reported in 63 districts across the country. They included among others Mbale, Manafwa, Namisindwa, Bududa, Isingiro, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Kiruhura, Karamoja and Nakasongola districts.
