A section of Members of Parliament has asked government to expedite the enactment of regulations on the Islamic Halal policy, which would among other issues, restrict slaughtering of animals to Muslims.
These say, the move will enable Uganda tap into the lucrative Arab- Islamic beef market.
This was after Harriet Ntabazi, the Minister of State for Trade informed Parliament’s Trade Committee that the absence of regulations and a policy in Uganda requiring people involved in the production and processing of meat, goats meat, mutton possess halal certificates is costing Uganda billions in foreign exchange earning especially in Arab countries.
“Qatar has a very big market for beef, mutton and goats meat. Uganda has the beef, goats meat and mutton, but the challenge is only one, we don’t have the halal certificates. We have the goats, cows and sheep slaughtered here, and it is very impossible for them to export live cows, goats or sheep, they don’t want it, they want beef, goats meat and mutton,” Ntabazi said.
She informed Parliament that it is Kenya that has the halal certificate and for that reason, all the cows, goats and sheep in Uganda are being ferried to Kenya to be slaughtered there.
Yusuf Mutembuli, Bunyole West MP noted that although the Islamic nations do expect Uganda to come up with a law that only Muslims should slaughter animals, Uganda does not have such a law and instead, the country relies on customs, culture and Islamic understanding,
He explained that the abscence of the halal law that restricts slaughtering of animals to Muslims, in Uganda partly explains the scepticism the Islamic nations have towards consuming Uganda meat products.
“The fear of Islamic countries is that because we don’t have a policy that restricts the slaughtering of animals to only Muslims, they can’t be sure that the meat we are transporting to their countries has been slaughtered by Muslims. To them, they are a little bit hesitant and doubtful whether what we send outside is halal that is their greatest fear.” Mutembuli said.
Mutembuli called on Ugandans to consider having a honest discussion on the debate of having halal policy implemented in the country if it is interested in the commercial aspect it would bring to the country.
“If we feel that business is important, I think it is an eye opener that we decide that whichever meat is slaughtered must be by a Muslim. Time is now for us to think about it if we can come up with a law restricting it.” he said.
Abed Bwanika, Kimanya Kabonera Division MP argued that every market is specific in terms of the requirements and that when it comes to the beef industry and the Muslim world, the market requires that the meat meets the standard of halal.
He said there is need by Government to come up with regulations within the law to provide for halal production and processing.
“It is a very huge market, it isn’t only in Qatar, but Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates among others. Our meat is one of the highest quality meat in the world, it tastes well, and it has a good aroma that blends well the fat and the meat. And the Arab world is looking for this meat, but we don’t have the quantities.”