Residents raise concerns over poor sanitation in Lira City abattoir

Inside the slaughter house
Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents in Lira City are concerned about the deteriorating sanitation in and around the City abattoir, describing the facility as a public health risk that requires urgent intervention.
Located at Bar-Onger Go-down, Railways ward in City East Division, the facility was originally designed to accommodate between 5 and 8 cattle, but now, approximately 20 to 50 animals are slaughtered on a daily basis, depending on the season.
This sharp increase has come with its own challenges, such as having animals slaughtered on bare ground, outside the facility, and poor sanitation, as the wastewater system is always overwhelmed.
Harriet Akidi, a cleaner at the abattoir, explained that the problem started about six months ago when the facility’s water was disconnected.
Akello Lydia, a resident of Lira City West, says the current state of the slaughterhouse is alarming. After visiting the site, she described the conditions as unhygienic and dangerous to the community.
“It is endangering the lives of the people of Lira City,” she said, calling on city authorities, including the health team and production office, to urgently inspect the facility.
She also appealed to the city clerk to closely monitor how animals are slaughtered and ensure hygiene standards are upheld.
Leonard Otika, the City Environment Officer, explains that the sanitation challenges are partly due to increased demand for meat, which results in large volumes of waste being generated, including blood, bones, horns, dung, and wastewater. While some by-products are recycled into animal feed, excess waste, particularly wastewater discharged into nearby wetlands, has overwhelmed the system.
He notes that although wetlands naturally filter some waste, the growing volume now requires a proper effluent treatment plant to prevent environmental contamination.
The concerns come at a time when the city is preparing to construct a modern abattoir under the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program.
However, some of the vendors who are operating in the current structure have resisted the planned development. They have reportedly declined to vacate the premises when requested by authorities, insisting they would only leave once construction officially starts.
Robert Okello Ayo, the City Communications Officer for Lira, acknowledged the deplorable state of the abattoir, blaming it on limited resources. According to Ayo, designs for the new modern abattoir are underway, with construction expected in the coming financial year.
However, he was also quick to note that the Lira Butchery Association has the responsibility of managing facilities at the abattoir.
Residents are now urging both city authorities and abattoir operators to treat the matter as a public health emergency, as they await the construction of the long-promised modern facility.
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