Kiruhura To 'Tax' Cow Dung

By Ivan Mugisha

KIRUHURA | The value of cow dung has shot through the kraal and the cattle poop could be the new cash cow - at least in the south-western cattle corridor district of Kiruhura.

The district Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Charles Nsubuga Kiberu, has directed all town clerks and sub-county chiefs to begin collecting fees on cow dung loads as part of a strategy to boost local revenue.

Last week, the CAO issued a letter urging town clerks and sub-county officials to enforce the collection of these newly imposed fees.

The letter emphasized the importance of public compliance with this initiative.

According to the cow dung loading fee structure approved by the District Council as part of the revenue enhancement policy for the financial year 2024/2025, the following fees will apply: Shs10,000 for each pick-up truck (about one tonne), Shs30,000 for a Canter lorry (three tonnes), Shs50,000 for a lorry forward (five tonnes), Shs70,000 for a Fuso lorry (seven tonnes), and Shs100,000 for a Sino truck (10 tonnes).

Kiruhura, the south-western cattle corridor district, has one of the highest cattle population in the country.

In its 2021 figures, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics recorded that Kiruhura had 402,000 head of cattle, only bettered by Kotido with 718,000 cattle, Amudat with 677,000, and Kaabong with 490,000.

This big number of cattle translates to the load of cow dung in the district and it is plausible to see where the district authorities are coming from.

“We already have a loading fee structure in place for each type of vehicle based on its capacity," Mr Nsubuga said.

"For instance, a pick-up weighing one tonne will be required to pay Shs10,000, while a canter lorry weighing three tonnes will incur a fee of Shs30,000. This initiative is similar to revenue enhancement strategies adopted by other districts that charge fees on items such as timber, sand, and salt.”

Mr Nsubuga noted that the introduction of charges on cow dung loads is part of a broader effort to increase local revenue.

“This is not unique to Kiruhura; several other local governments have adopted similar measures to enhance revenue collection. For instance, some districts have successfully charged for items like sand, timber, and bananas,” he added.

Kiruhura District Chairperson Dan Mukago Rutetebya expressed support for the initiative, stating that cow dung is a valuable resource that had previously been overlooked.

He urged local leaders to embrace this new revenue stream.

“As leaders, we had not considered cow dung loading fees as a potential source of revenue for the district. Now that it has been initiated, we must embrace it and remain vigilant in identifying vehicles that transport cow dung,” Mukago said.

“Many trucks carry cow dung to nearby districts such as Ibanda and Isingiro, where it is used as manure for coffee and banana plantations.”

Over the past year, Kiruhura local government has struggled with insufficient revenue collections, achieving only Shs 800 million—substantially below its target of at least Shs2.5 billion annually.