Court tries Lyantonde Veterinary Officer on theft of 25,000 FMD doses

The District Veterinary Officer for Lyantonde Ronald Bameka has been accused of selling free animal medicine that is supposed to treat the Foot and Mouth Disease – FMD treatment of animals in Lyantonde District.

Bameka is said to have sold the vaccines in 2020 prior to the COVID 19 pandemic when the Foot and Mouth Disease had ravaged the cattle corridor, in the districts of Lyantonde, Ssembabule, Lwengo, Kiruhura, Isingiro, among others.

According to witnesses who confessed before the Anti-Corruption Court held in Lyantonde on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, each dose was sold at Ugx 2,500.

The Veterinary officer is also said to have sold the vaccines to the people in neighboring Districts of Kiruhura, Ssembabule and Lwengo despite having been obtained for Lyantonde District alone.

According to the testimonies by the different farmers, each dose was sold expensively at Ugx 2,500 leaving many of the cows unvaccinated and thus prolonging the instituted quarantine that for long affected the economy of the region.

The sale of such doses by the District Veterinary Officer, Mr. Bameka Ronald prompted an immediate intervention of the Minister of Agriculture in Charge of Animal Industry Col (Rtd.) Bright Rwamirama. The DVO was later arrested and detained by authorities answering cases relating to the fraudulent sale of the doses.

Animal Vaccines provided by Government of Uganda are supposed to be freely distributed by the local administrative units to the population for better service delivery.

Now, the public wants the District Veterinary Officer dismissed from all responsibilities of government in the department he serves to ensure that the intended beneficiaries get the desired services.

It is alleged that Bameka collected more than Ugx 60 million from the doses while he also asked for vaccine application fees despite being given such resources by government of Uganda.

When contacted for a comment, Bameka told this website all the allegations are false. Court set August this year for the cross examination of the witnesses brought by the state.

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