Formalin is too expensive for us to afford- Butchers

Butchers in Kampala have blamed Kampala capital city doctors for conniving with mafias who want to take on their jobs.

While in a meeting at city hall with the Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago butchers say that since the construction of the Bombo slaughter house (Egypt-Uganda private beef processing factory) by an Egyptian Investor, government has been fighting hard to see that all Kampala slaughter houses close to enable the operation of the Bombo slaughter house.

The allegations come at a time when the butcher business is at the edge of collapsing following the news all over the country that formalin is being used to preserve meat by the men business.

Early this month the nation was put into a state of panic following the news that butchers use formalin as a means of preventing flies from coming onto meat, a report that forced KCCA into an operation arresting 9 people.

Consequently, Lukwago called upon all butchers in Kampala to hear their views before a decision can be taken.

“Yesterday the health committee presented a report to the council which we sent back since it was lacking. The report lacked concrete evidence which the council couldn’t base on to take a decision,” Lukwago says.

During the meeting the butchers made it clear that they are aware of the move by some mafias to take over their business to enable the functioning of a recently constructed Bombo slaughter house.

“We are aware of the recently opened Bombo slaughterhouse which is currently operating at a low capacity and the formalin allegation is a move to close all abattoirs in Kampala to provide enough cows to the Egyptian abattoirs,” Mugumba Abbey chairman Lufula port bell said.

They butcher insist that none of them has ever used formalin in their work places despite KCCA claiming to have found chemicals in some butchers.

“We get very little profits from the meat we sale not even enough to spend on buying such chemicals, secondly formalin turns the color of a dead body to black what of meat?” Mugumba said.

“Currently people have Shun away from buying meat a thing that is costing us dearly; we are yet to take legal acts if KCCA fails to release the laboratory report on the meat samples they took,” Mugumba Abbey chairman Lufula portbell.

These have given KCCA closing date of 14 days to release the laboratory findings or face being sued.

Lukwago however did no buy into their reason, he said some butchers have already admitted to using the product.

“But we have also got reports where some butchers are pinning others for using formalin” Lukwago said.