Mbale butchers reject abattoir over shoddy work

By Our Reporter

Butchers in Namayonyi Sub County, Mbale district have rejected the newly constructed abattoir over shoddy work.

The abattoir was constructed in Makudoyi village, Nabweya parish in Namayonyi Sub County by Nanda Contractors Limited at Shs7.8 million.

According to the butchers, the abattoir was constructed using substandard materials, they claim the gate is shaky and that it cannot hold animals of more than 100kgs.

Aramazan Masaba, a resident of Namayonyi Sub County said the slab was constructed without a shade and no trenches to allow the flow of animal waste after slaughter.

“We expected to eat clean and safe meat but the slaughter slab will still contain waste blood in one place which is unhealthy,” he said.

Francis Musimame, a butcher in Namanyonyi trading center said the slaughter slab is too small to accommodate even two animals.

Mutuwalibu Nagwere, the Nabweya Parish councilor said the plan of the abattoir was altered.

He said that the trenches around the abattoir were never constructed to allow the proper flow of blood and water.

The Senior Assistant Secretary Namayonyi Sub County, Samali Negesa, admits that the contractor did substandard work. He, however, says that the matter is being addressed by the sub-county authorities.

She says that commissioning of the abattoir has been halted until the contractor corrects the defects.

But Massa Mabere, a representative of Nanda Contractors says that they handed over the site to the district and a certificate of completion was issued to them in July as they wait for the liability period of six months.

“About the issues of using substandard materials, there are some Councilors who went to interfere with the slaughter slab by shaking it because they want to bring it down, the community people are just against development,” he said.