OVER sh500m has been earmarked to buy drugs for to spray tsetse flies in 10 districts in the country.
According to Dr. Joseph Odimim from the animal husbandry ministry, tsetse flies have greatly multiplied in many districts in eastern Uganda, calling for immediate attention to wipe them out.
The flies cause sleeping sickness in human and nagana in animals, which has economically affected livestock farmers.
“Nagana is a big problem to farmers and we need to stop it before it runs out of hand,” he explained.
Mukono, Buikwe, Mayuge, Jinja, Kamuli, Iganga, Kaliro and Namutumba are some of the districts that will be sprayed.
An estimated 270,000 herd of cattle would be sprayed, Odimim said.
“Since the flies feed on blood once they feed on an animal that has been sprayed, they automatically die as the drug remain active for a month,” he explained.
“Strict measures need to be put in place to control animal movements, and hence stop the spread of tsetse flies,” he advised.
