Kanungu — The State Minister for Animal Industry, Mr Bright Rwamirama, has blamed the continued spread of the foot and mouth disease in western Uganda on nomadic pastoralists moving from one place to another.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday in Rukungiri, Mr Rwamirama said the recent cause of the disease in the districts of Isingiro, Ntungamo and Kabale is due to pastoralists who have moved cattle from Karagwe in Tanzania to some areas in Uganda.

He said that in order to contain the spread of the disease which is rampant during the dry season, the Agriculture ministry has put a quarantine on the movement of cattle and their products in the sub counties bordering Tanzania.

We have directed the Police to ensure there is no movement of cattle from any sub-counties bordering Tanzania. "The pastoralists in that area are still free to move their cattle to wherever they want," Mr Rwamirama said.

In Rukungiri, the District veterinary officer, Dr Johnson Ninsiima, told journalists on Wednesday that all stock markets in the district have been closed to ensure that no animals are brought from the already infected areas.

"All the districts bordering Rukungiri have been blacklisted as endangered and already affected so the measure to close the markets was timely, " Dr Ninsiima said. Since the markets were closed two years ago, the price of meat has risen from Shs1500 per kilo to Shs3000 today.