Talk is spreading through Mukono about a brewing debate over the future of the Kyetume abattoir, a once-busy slaughterhouse that has been sitting idle since 2008.
For years, nothing has happened on the land, and as a result, people have been encroaching on it.
Now, with the launch of the Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Program (GKMA-UDP), there’s talk of bringing the abattoir back to life. This program is funded by a $566 million loan from the World Bank Group.
However, discussions have hit a snag, with some leaders suggesting the construction of a market in Katosi instead.
Meanwhile, those who have taken over parts of the land during its years of inactivity are resisting these changes, adding to the uncertainty of what will happen next.
Local leaders, including Chief Administrative Officer Elizabeth Namanda and District Vice Chairperson Asuman Muhumuza, have shared plans to redevelop the abattoir, with a budget of four billion shillings set aside for the project.
However, this website has learned that local leaders are still debating whether to move forward with the abattoir or build a market in Katosi instead.
Some people, including those who have been using the idle land for their purposes, are resisting the redevelopment.
The slaughterhouse, which was originally built in the 1960s, once occupied 52 acres of land at Kyetume trading centre, near the Uganda Railway Corporation inland container depot.
Over the years, the land around the abattoir has been gradually encroached upon, reducing it from 52 acres to just 29 acres.
Today, the land hosts a kraal owned by Dr. Fred Mukulu, the Mukono district production and marketing officer, and a police post.
Residents in Kyetume believe that, aside from the police post, other activities on the land should be halted, as they create conflicting interests, especially now that the land is supposed to be redeveloped.
John Walusimbi Mpanga, the Speaker of Nakisunga sub-county, mentioned that redeveloping the land would not only protect it from further encroachment but also provide job opportunities.
Hannington Ggoobi, a resident and former butcher at the abattoir, reminisced, describing the abattoir as a valuable asset that provided income and helped control animal diseases through proper monitoring.
At its peak, the Kyetume abattoir could process around 200 cattle each day, supplying meat to various shops, institutions, and markets in the Kampala metropolitan area, as well as in the Kayunga, Buikwe, and Jinja districts.
Julius Male, the LCI Chairperson of Bukasa Village, where the abattoir land is located, emphasised that any attempts to divert plans for constructing the new modern abattoir would severely impact their community’s only hope for development.
Former Mukono South MP, Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga, also highlighted the importance of Kyetume market in the past.
He noted that during its peak, the market played a significant role in the creation of a strong football team, Kyetume FC, which was funded directly by the market’s management.
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