Assessment of Facilties and Operations in Cattle Abbatoirs in Kampala, Uganda

Abattoir slaughter facilities and inspection processes are relevant and meant to provide wholesome meat that are free from diseases and contamination but the absence of adequate and functional slaughter facilities and processes possess a public health concern especially with the transmission of zoonoses. Despite this important function of abattoir and high daily slaughter load recorded, no study has yet been conducted in Uganda to assess abattoir?s facilities, inspection and slaughter waste management. The study was carried out between December 2015 and July 2016 to assess physical facilities and operations in four abattoirs in Kampala city, Uganda. The abattoirs studied were: Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) abattoir, Uganda Meat Industry (UMI) abattoir, Nsooba Slaughterhouse Ltd and Kishiita Young Farmer?s Abattoir. Data were collected using a checklist and key informant interview with meat inspectors and abattoir workers, focus group discussions and direct observations. The facilities and processes of the abattoirs were evaluated based on observation of their existence and functional status, and were graded as good (1) or bad (0). The basic physical operational facilities in most of the abattoirs were inadequate for compliance to standard and humane slaughter of food animals. Inspection of food animals and carcasses were not rigidly followed especially in the abattoirs located at Kalerwe (Nsooba and Kishitta). Also, a lot of human traffic was observed in the processing and inspection areas. Hygienic and sanitary conditions were also inadequate with the exception of the UMI abattoir. Stunning was not practiced and animal welfare prior to and during slaughter was not observed. High slaughter load with limited number of meat inspectors (11 in all the abattoirs) were also observed in all the abattoirs except the UMI abattoir. There was no form of record keeping for ante and post-mortem meat inspection findings. Fasciolosis, taeniasis, tuberculosis, contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia, were most frequently encountered at post-mortem inspection. All meat inspectors supported improving abattoir?s operational facilities and increasing the number of inspectors. It was concluded that all the Kampala abattoirs do not comply with standard slaughter facilities, inspection, hygiene and sanitary conditions for the production of safe and wholesome meat and meat products for human consumption.