Golden Jubilee: 50 years of veterinary degree training at Makerere University

It was first established in Lyon, France in 1761, by Claude Bourgelat who, as an overachiever, opened a second one in Alfort, France just four years later (in 1765). This was the genesis of formal veterinary training institutions. In Uganda, it happened 161 years later (in 1922).

When - the later to be named - Makerere University (MAK) started as Uganda Technical College in 1922, veterinary science was one of the few courses. Just like in Bourgelat's veterinary training schools of the 1760s, the training in Uganda started humbly. It is reported that it started as an in-service training institution for the colonial government’s department of veterinary services. With the need for broader and higher-level skills, the training programmes progressively expanded to today’s rich five-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) programme covering a wide range of courses.

The first intake of BVM students in a university in Uganda happened in 1971, almost 50 years after the beginning of veterinary training in Uganda. This year, 2021, therefore, marks 50 years of BVM training in Makerere (Uganda). Before then, most East African BVM students took their training from Kabete in Kenya and were awarded degrees from the University of East Africa. A few went to the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. Universities in the three East African Community member countries then were strengthened strategically to complement each other in training the region’s workforce in various professional disciplines. University students moved freely across borders to take their respective professional courses. With time, individual member States progressively built capacity to conduct training in all professional disciplines relevant to their respective development agendas.

Fast forward. Uganda established the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and started admissions into the BVM programme in 1971, a year after the establishment of Makerere. The following eminent persons, among others, took a step of faith and enrolled in a new school as pioneer students of BVM training in Uganda: Dr Lonzy Ojok (Professor Emeritus, Makerere, former Board member, NEMA), Dr Margaret Saimo (Principal Investigator of the government-funded anti-tick vaccine project at Mak), Dr John Nuwagaba (Pastor and chairman of the Uganda Veterinary Board), Dr Nyeko Pen-Mogi (former Vice-Chancellor, Gulu University), Dr Jaxon Nakasala-Situma (RIP, sitting Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine when the Silver Jubilee was celebrated). Training progressed very well despite some yet to be fully completed facilities.

An estimated average of 45 veterinary graduates have been produced by Makerere every year since 1975, several research and innovation outputs generated and excellent service to the community through service-learning activities, partnerships and consultancy engagements. The veterinary graduates produced provide solutions in the areas of animal welfare, animal production, food security, food safety, public health and environmental health. The training curriculum is deeply rooted in the World Organisation for Animal Health’s Day 1 competency for veterinary graduates. This gives graduates of veterinary medicine from Makerere a firm foundation of competencies required to provide professional services in any country in the world. The malleability of veterinarians grants them the necessary ability to adjust to the unique technological, socio-cultural, language, legal and environmental systems in the country in question. It is not surprising therefore to find Makerere veterinary graduates working in various countries in many capacities ranging from 'core veterinary practice' to the more liberal research arena. As they excel in foreign lands, they should also excel back home despite the relatively less sophisticated technological support, low purchasing power of the community, some significantly disruptive policies and incoherent policy implementation processes! Makerere-trained veterinarians soldier on for God and our country.

This article was published in the New Vision Newspaper (online) of 8th December 2021. I am heavily indebted to them.

Lessons from COVID-19: Understanding quarantine in the animal sector

This article was published in the New Vision Newspaper (online) of 9th May 2020. I am heavily indebted to them.

“Kalantini” as some people jokingly refer to quarantine on social media (in Uganda) is now a household word thanks to COVID-19. Quarantine is an action, usually taken for disease control, in which humans or animals suspected or confirmed to be suffering from an infectious, often communicable, disease have their movements from one point to another highly restricted. It also applies to those who may not be sick but have had contact with the sick or infected material as they are believed to be able to transfer the disease-causing germ from one place to another. The ultimate purpose of quarantine is to prevent spread of disease to susceptible individuals who would in turn transmit it to others and so on. The multiplier effect – one case infecting several individuals – would lead to disastrous consequences as the national disease management and control system would be overwhelmed!

While to many, quarantine is a word that came with COVID-19, among animal rearing communities it is common. This is so because movement control through instituting quarantine is one of the key measures undertaken to prevent spread of highly contagious animal diseases of economic and public health importance. Examples of such diseases are Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and African Swine Fever (ASF). Both these diseases of animals are viral and have no known cure. Unlike FMD which has a vaccine, ASF does not so when it strikes, 100% death of pigs that get into contact with infected ones or virus-contaminated material will be the most likely result. In such a case an effective quarantine would save the highly susceptible national herds.

Similar to COVID-19, discipline and adherence to established guidelines are vital in the control of infectious animal diseases. It is complicated further by the fact that infected animal products, inanimate objects or even humans can carry germs from one farm to another. Contaminated vehicle tyres, animal health workers’ shoes and/or clothing, farm implements, and contaminated hands of farmers or animal handlers or careless veterinarians have been implicated. While quarantine restricts movement of animals, human activity can fail its purpose completely. The attitude of humans contributes significantly to failure of quarantine hence the difficulty in animal disease control. Whenever government stops animal movement and closes all cattle markets in an affected area, some “stubborn” individuals defy the guidance and move animals (including infected ones) from an area with infection to one without or from a non-infected area through an area with infection. This illegal act does not only fail government efforts to control the spread of disease but also metes a heavy undeserved economic blow on often innocent farmers whose animals acquire infection due to the carelessness of some individuals.

It is my hope that the COVID-19 situation has improved our appreciation of the need for and the benefits of observing quarantine guidelines in the animal sector. Key among the lessons that ought to be borrowed is vigilance and coordinated actions of the network of leaders at all levels. Also important is the keenness and cooperation of the community. Applying these, among others, will reduce economic losses suffered due to infectious transboundary animal diseases.

Control of infectious diseases enhances optimal performance, the precursor of increased benefits. Animals benefit humans in various ways, including but not limited to, food security, improved nutrition, financial income, draft power, cultural mileage, research, tourism, recreation, psychosocial support, security and prestige. Every citizen therefore ought to be responsible enough to adhere to guidelines and practices that improve animal health. Each one of us should report disease to veterinary professionals promptly and adhere to their guidance on quarantine, vaccination schedules and disease-preventive husbandry practices. Additionally, we should ensure that no animal or material moves from an affected farm to another. Sanitize vehicle tyres and veterinary professionals’ personal protection equipment as they move between farms.

Remember, President Yoweri Museveni recently said, “God cannot just be here in Uganda looking after idiots”. And may I add, “and their animals”.

Samuel G. Okech

Member, Uganda Veterinary Board (UVB)

Ambassador, African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN)

Past President, Uganda Veterinary Association (UVA)

Why should the veterinary profession be regulated?

“Why do you collect registration and licensing fees from us when there are non-veterinarians everywhere in the country impersonating veterinarians and causing tremendous losses in the community and consequently bringing a bad image to a profession they do not belong to?” asked one registered and licensed veterinarian. The other added in quick succession, “So after I have registered and got my annual practice licence then what happens with the veterinarian who chooses not to register and/or get a practice licence?” These were voices of angered, frustrated and genuinely concerned patriotic veterinary professionals who respect the obligation to register and get licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Uganda and yet are suffering the pain of “competing” with non-professionals on one hand and non-compliant professionals on the other. Both these scenarios relate to regulation of the veterinary profession.

The scenarios point to the need to strengthen regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine in Uganda, including the use of modern technology. Veterinary professionals, just like other medical professionals, take the Hippocratic oath because they deal with life. Elements of the oath include ensuring the welfare of animals entrusted to their care, continuous enhancement of professional competences, protection of public and environmental health. Needless say, the non-veterinarians do not take this oath and neither do they understand its significance. It is not uncommon therefore that they impersonate veterinary professionals without due regard to the responsibilities defined in the elements of the veterinary Hippocratic oath. The poor unsuspecting client willingly subjects their animal to mismanagement, torture and often death in the hands of the quack and moreover pays such a law breaker handsomely in addition. The animal may die soon thereafter or later through escalation of the disease or of complications associated with inappropriate medications or quantities of them administered to it.

The welfare of an animal is very central in determining whether it performs its role in meeting human needs or not. It is important therefore that the laws of the land should guard against individuals who would violate the animal’s welfare and by so doing cause losses to the owner of the animal. The Veterinary Surgeon’s Act Cap 277 empowers the Uganda Veterinary Board to regulate the practice of veterinary medicine in Uganda. Through execution of their functions, they protect the interests of the animals, the animal owner and the veterinary professional.

The veterinary profession has, as a requirement enshrined in the regulatory guidelines, the need for adherence to a code of conduct that defines the culture of professionalism and general social etiquette. Besides contributing to producing a responsible member of society, this regulation also protects and raises the image of the noble profession. A properly regulated veterinary profession leads to the improvement of quality of services and animal products in the country. Additionally, appropriate regulation promotes growth of veterinary practices and also utilisation of products from industry thus expanding space for employment and taxation. It is also obvious that the regulatory body influences the quality of training and by so doing keeps the local institutions at par with global standards thus producing professionals with sufficient competence to provide solutions to real world challenges. This in turn preserves the image, integrity and reputation of the training institution and ultimately that of the nation.

It is important at this stage to point out that regulation of the veterinary profession cannot be accomplished without deliberate input from government, veterinary professionals themselves, enforcement officers, animal owners and the public. Each has its unique role ranging from sufficient funding of the regulator by government to enable it execute its functions; vigilance of the public in reporting quacks and unethical veterinary practitioners; police for supporting the regulator in enforcing the law; the veterinary professional by meeting their legal obligations, religious adherence to ethical code of conduct and vigilance in reporting quacks. Additionally, it is the animal owners’ right to seek from anybody intending to offer or offering them animal health services not only their full identity but evidence that they are a licensed professional. Unique identification documents will be designed for this purpose. Should such a person fail to provide convincing evidence or refuse to cooperate, the owner of the animal should take note and report to the regulator for advice and further action. It is envisaged further that within the next few months, it will be possible for anybody anywhere in the country to be able to establish the true identity of a registered and licensed veterinary professional in Uganda with support of technology and the government gazette. Technology will also make it possible for the animal owner to locate the nearest registered and licenced veterinary professional. This way, the two questions at the opening of this article will be satisfactorily answered. Every Ugandan has a role in ensuring the provision of quality veterinary services. May we execute them conscientiously.

For God and my country.

This article was part of the set published in Kampala dailies of 27 April 2019 in commemoration of World Veterinary Day 2019.

World Veterinary Day 2018

BETTER ANIMAL WELFARE INCREASES INCOME AND PRIDE TO THE NATION

“The greatness of a nation - and its moral progress - can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. This statement was made by Mahatma Gandhi in relation to the welfare of animals. Animal welfare, the state of fitness and happiness of an animal, is a very central factor in its enhanced production, optimal performance and subsequently, satisfaction of the animal owner. It is therefore important that humans, who benefit from animals variously do conscientiously address matters of their welfare. Animals benefit humans as source of food; source of income; source of ornaments and trophies; draft power; source of recreation and entertainment; provision of security; symbols of social capital; subjects for drug development research; fulfilling cultural obligations; ecosystem balance, among others. Despite all these benefits humans liberally harness from animals, some of them are still cruel to animals. This necessitated the creation of animal welfare-related laws by all countries to guide and enforce good animal welfare practices. In Uganda, it is “The Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Act” Cap 39 of 1957! It is quite an old one whose penalties are non-deterrent. This probably contributes to fueling the cruelty currently meted on animals in Uganda.

There are numerous examples of practices that are regarded as being cruel to animals in Uganda. Examples include, the manner of transportation and handling of animals in transit; overworked and sometimes tortured draft animals such as oxen and donkeys; beating of animals; unnecessary and inappropriate confinement and/or isolation; delayed diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases; animals deprived of sufficient well-balanced nutrition; roadside sale of animals; roaming animals poisoned, beaten or run over by vehicles; inhumane slaughter of animals. While some of these bad practices happen in the public domain, it is suspected that lots of acts of cruelty, including untold heinous and shameful acts happen behind doors and behind wall fences. Not too long ago, on two occasions, innocent piglets were painted and dumped in the packing area of the Parliament of Uganda. As if the manner in which they were tied, transported and flung on a hard surface were not bad enough to their welfare, the piglets further suffered in the hands of security officers. The latter who were supposed to save the piglets from suffering, instead added more by dragging them on the tarmac and administering militant kicks on them! These and other kinds of cruel acts, wherever they occur, affect the animal’s performance and the ultimate loser is the owner of the animal and the nation (economy).

Going by Gandhi’s words, what kind of nation are we? The Bible (Proverbs 12:10) adds, “Good people take care of their animals, but wicked people are cruel to theirs”. So, judging by the way we treat our animals, do we choose to be a nation whose greatness is questioned and moreover populated by wicked people? Could we, Ugandans, please rise and fight the practices that steal the animal’s happiness and fitness; erodes the farmers’ and subsequently the country’s wealth – through reduced production and poor quality animal products? Fortunately, this loss is preventable. Veterinary professionals are full-time key partners in the efforts to enhance animal performance and the consequent income thereof. There should be no wonder therefore that animal welfare is a key element in the veterinary profession Hippocratic Oath in all countries. They cannot do it alone though.

So as we celebrate the World Veterinary Day 2018, let us use it to remind ourselves of the significant role animals – in a good state of welfare - play in our livelihoods and in the national economy. In this respect, we also ought to recognize the central role and position of veterinary professionals in the patriotic efforts of generating and protecting national wealth. Let’s make Uganda a great nation. Happy celebrations.

For God and my country.

Ten years of blogging

On Thursday 20th July 2017 this blog made ten (10) years. The blog started in a humble way on 20th July 2007.

Youth development programmes in Uganda should be balanced not biased

The current demographics put Ugandans under 30 at a handsome 78% of the national population. Accordingly therefore and rightfully so, there is lots of talk and some action supposedly for the empowerment and transformation of the youth. Time will tell whether such actions in their current form will have significant impact on the performance of the national economy.

It is common in Uganda today for one to address themselves to the topic of harnessing the blessing of the high population of youth in the country amidst the problem of high unemployment. While the arguments are presented with admirable rhetoric to match the clout of the speakers, no convincing local data is provided to support the claims of being able to transform the economy through engaging youth in production and entrepreneurship. While I buy into the general principle of productive engagement, some proponents have taken it to unacceptable levels that border on empty deceptive words that could consequently plunge us into new depths.

In an attempt to strengthen their arguments, they unfortunately downplay the role of formal education. I find this unrealistic, unfair, selfish and unethical. Their presentations are derogatory to youth who have gone through or are pursuing formal education. The irony is that some of these personalities enjoy the comfort and privileges of offices and private businesses deservedly earned, albeit using credentials and competences largely built on the foundation of their formal education. And they are making great contributions to the development of this country. Why then do they condemn the foundational and enabling role of formal education in the empowerment or transformation of the youth they purport to argue for? It will not be surprising if it is found that such people are supporting their close relatives to pursue formal education in prestigious training institutions. They instead continue to peddle arguments to the effect that the currently struggling youth in the countryside – for reasons not of their making - should be supported and relegated exclusively to agricultural production enterprises moreover with little capital, rudimentary implements and on borrowed land. Some are encouraged to start micro enterprises in the countryside but these cannot earn them much to write home about especially with reference to living above the poverty line or better still creating and accumulating wealth that can in turn support their spouses and offspring to live decent lives. We are told that even in the cities where the market is broader, majority of such minute enterprises do not see their first birthday! Now pity the village youth!

While the youth development programmes are a good idea, they must be balanced with providing the youth the opportunity for quality formal education. The majority of today’s youth are capable of pursuing education to the highest level if given opportunity and this cannot make them less productive in the economy, neither can it be argued that this will necessarily take them away from engaging in agricultural production or other profitable entrepreneurial engagements. No rocket science is required to decipher the fact that nurturing a majority of poorly, if at all, educated population in this era is itself a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, it is erroneous to believe and persistently argue that every youth who goes through formal education ends up only as an unskilled job seeker who cannot create any employment opportunity. Moreover, those who do not create jobs or self-employment are still needed by the existing tax-compliant enterprises as productive employees.

I write this article not to downplay any youth development programmes but rather to highlight the need for proper balancing of the argument and action for the good of our country. I think the solution lies in supporting the youth to undertake quality formal education while mentoring them in productive, entrepreneurial ventures. None should be exclusive of the other and any model promoting such dichotomy and castigating formal education in the process will most likely not help Uganda. The youth development programmes and formal education system therefore need to be re-examined candidly with a view to making them synergistic.

For God and my Country.

Rabies kills but can be controlled

"As we talk now, we have one classical case of rabies (in the ward). Unfortunately, we cannot save the life of this young lady at this stage" said a health worker from a health unit in Kotido on June 4, 2015. This statement has nothing to do with the competence of the professionals but all to do with the nature of the disease and its prevention measures. The health worker was briefing a multidisciplinary and multinational team of professionals (veterinary and biomedical laboratory) from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and the United States of America. They were on a study trip in Karamoja, among other places, to understand animal production systems, animal diseases, zoonoses (diseases that affect both humans and animals) and their impact on community livelihoods.

Rabies, a viral disease that affects both animals and humans, is a killer disease that has unfortunately received insufficient attention globally. It reportedly kills up to 55,000 humans every year (one person every ten minutes) in Africa and Asia alone where 95% of the cases occur! Uganda contributes to this statistic although we believe that due to poor reporting, misdiagnosis and other challenges, the entire magnitude of the burden is not documented.

Rabies is largely transmitted to humans through dog bites and kills mainly children in the rural areas of the country due to various reasons. Children tend to interact with the dogs more closely than adults and are also prone to attack due to their naivety and failure to flee quickly from dangerous dogs. Rabies is sadly 100% fatal when clinical signs show - the disease is irreversible by any known human intervention once clinical signs of the disease show. Usually at this stage the virus has found its way to the brain initially entering through the nerves at the bite wound. However, if a bitten person accesses post-exposure treatment soon after being bitten, the virus is arrested before it advances far from the point of entry hence significantly increasing the chances of survival.

In Kotido, up to twenty (20) dog bite cases have been reportedly seen in one day! This is alarming but the consolation is that not all dogs that bite humans are rabid. The good news about this killer disease is that it is controllable through a multifaceted intervention approaches: vaccination of dogs and cats, population control of stray dogs and cats, and community education. A responsible member of the community should therefore contact their area veterinarian for guidance on when to vaccinate theirs and other dogs in the community. All humans at risk should also be vaccinated and given boosters regularly e.g. veterinary professionals; animal handlers in security organisations, zoos, animal clinics and veterinary and animal science students.

Community members should also report any animals behaving unusually to the nearest animal health worker for checking and follow-up. When bitten by a suspected rabid animal or indeed by any dog or cat, one is advised to get as much information as possible about the animal and its vaccination record and volunteer it to the authorities or animal and human health workers. They should also clean the wound with clean water and soap or antiseptic besides other first aid measures and immediately report to the nearest health unit for appropriate medical attention. Obtaining animal vaccination record is important for guiding the medical worker's choice of treatment protocol so as to save the life of a dog bite victim. Such information is also useful to support the veterinarian’s follow-up protocol for the dog in question.

The embarrassing thing about Rabies is that it can be controlled and yet it still ranks high on the list of globally neglected killer zoonotic diseases! It is known that controlling it at the animal level eliminates cases in humans.

This article was published in the New Vision Newspaper of 8th July 2015.

Professionals are often a forgotten and neglected constituency in a national electoral campaigns

As Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council campaigns get heated in Uganda, the nature of campaign promises progressively exposes the little attention given to issues concerning the reliable and faithful professional workforce. Candidates do not seem to remember that these professionals who run most of government (local and central) and private sector technical programmes also have unique professional needs that ought to be attended to. They have votes too; and they can influence a few more. They need an enabling environment; appropriate and sufficient resources to work with and easy access to reliable ICT support facilities. These would empower them to “do their thing” as the leaders harness credit and political mileage for the guaranteed resultant positive achievements.

The required environment should be composed of, among others, good regulatory frameworks and associated enforcement strategies. Professions world over are regulated. A person should go through a given form of initial training and subsequent periodic re-training (continuous professional development) to acquire and maintain specific knowledge and skills sets, and must practice within specified ethical bounds in order to qualify to be categorized as a member of a profession. The mandate and guidelines for regulation of professional practice, including composition of the body of regulators, is usually defined in an Act of Parliament. Such laws must be kept up to date to match needs of the era and for global compliance. Membership to professional regulatory bodies should therefore be appropriately constituted and must be given independence to do their work within defined professional and legal bounds without unnecessary interference. Such interference happens either directly through refusal to appoint; meddling with and into the affairs of the regulatory bodies or indirectly through appointing incompetent people into the regulatory authority. Furthermore, deliberate unnecessary delays in the processes of reviewing and updating the related (parent) law passes for negative interference.

Professional regulatory authorities are intended to and will usually protect the consumers of professional services and associated goods from being duped to settle for less or fake services from dishonest professionals and masqueraders (quacks). This way, they would avoid suffering great losses through paying for services that would not meet their demands and moreover could result in horrible consequences! Failure of government to provide an appropriate and supportive environment or empowerment of these regulatory bodies and the professionals to excel is, subtle though it is, very harmful to medium and long term national development agenda. As part of the regulatory legal framework, all other laws governing and guiding practice in the trade of a given profession also ought to be updated regularly and effectively enforced.

The professional, whether in public or private sector, should be appropriately supported, protected and facilitated to carryout their technical functions. These could be provided through, among others, commensurate remuneration; reliable, easy to access ICT services; appropriate technical equipment; adequate staffing; respect of professional opinion and support for continuous professional development. Professionals are extremely useful in guiding policy direction, budgetary prioritisation and implementation strategies of government and private sector plans if appropriately involved. It is therefore my considered opinion that every professional regulatory body should be supported to create a think tank arm that will periodically provide evidence-based, professionally-crafted guidance to government and the public on local, regional and global matters related to their profession. Such a team could also propose and/or vet special national awards to professionals thus eliminating politically influenced, non-professional and undeserved praises.

A national leadership that will work to promote the professionals and support them to be high global performers will surely experience a high quality service delivery and a positive trade balance, as direct contributions by the professionals. Such leaders would most likely cover good grounds towards delivering the promises made in their campaign manifestos.

This piece was published in the opinion column of the New Vision Newspaper of Wednesday 3 February 2016 under the title, “Professionals are a forgotten and neglected constituency”. Ugandans will go to the polls on 18 February 2016 to elect a President and Members of Parliament. On 24 February 2016 they will elect the local council leaders.

Happy New Year colleagues. Thanks for reading the blog. This year I should be able to share more of my opinion with you.

Jose Mourinho should not be sacked

Contrary to what the media, rival Managers, English FA, and Jose Mourinho haters believe and are advocating for, I find it advisable for Chelsea FC not to terminate JM's contract. I am confident that given opportunity to continue, he can take Chelsea FC to top four finish in the premiership and also pick a trophy along the way. He only needs to sort out the defensive problems that has caused him to leak goals like it is running out of fashion. Sure, Chelsea is setting all kinds of records at the moment. I hope the learning has been recorded and Chelsea FC players and management staff will make good in the remaining games so as to silence critics. Yes; it is possible. Go blues.

The good welfare of animals benefits humans

Thanks to "The Newvision" Newspaper for running this article on animal welfare. The background is that a few weeks ago some two young men staged a protest at the Parliament of Uganda. The media served us to some details of what transpired. They used two piglets to help them send their message home. They painted the piglets yellow, tagged them with labels written on "MPigs", transported them to the parliamentary parking grounds and attempted to walk them into the building. A security officer stopped them and a melee ensued. Whatever message was coded in the "yellow piglets" I do not know. My concern is about the acts of cruelty meted out to the piglets. This is my opinion: The welfare of animals benefits humans.

eLearning Africa 2014

Chair and co-speakers in my session (innovative ways of using Facebook for formal education and for community development)




More information about the conference is available at the conference website

The GMO debate Part I

It finally came to pass on Thursday 18h July 2013 at the Makerere University Main Hall in Kampala, Uganda. The build up to this debate was eventful - the Makerere University academic staff mailing list was littered with lots of posts arguing for or against GMOs. There were more silent listeners though! I attended the debate and came back with a confirmation of what I wanted to hear: biotechnology is good and should be applied to improve humankind and the environment but should be done responsibly as there seems to be some undesirable sides to it that should preferably not be swept under the carpet. It was also clear that the current draft law (the so-called biotech bill) is inadequate in some (many?) significant areas. I captured a few issues from the speakers and I, unfortunately, present them here from my perspective - paraphrasing influenced by my own perception of the issues that came up. This is not in anyway an exhaustive representation of what was discussed by the scientists, legislators and the public.

1. God is central in science.
2. Biotechnology is important for improving quality of life of humans, animals and the environment. There are several examples of ways in which biotechnology has been used to achieve this especially in developing crop varieties with special/desirable characteristics.
3. GMO crops are not a panacea to food problems in Uganda.
4. There is need for a regulatory framework for the application of biotechnology in Uganda which GMOs are part of. Unfortunately, the current Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill (dubbed the GMO Bill) has several loop holes as compared to the one passed in Tanzania for example.
5. Broad stakeholder involvement is very important in the process of making the law to regulate GMOs.
6. In Uganda, regulatory functions are quite weakly implemented and poses a great concern especially with GMOs.
7. There is not much evidence of exhaustive safety studies done on many foods of GMO origin hence a bold statement about their safety cannot be made yet.
8. The conventional methods of crop production still hold their rightful place and make a significant contribution to agricultural production systems and food security in Uganda.
9. There is need to put more energy in developing indigenous genetic materials as opposed to depending on foreign supplies in order to avoid foreign 'manipulations'.
10. The application of biotechnology to enhance crop performance should be managed on a case by case basis as plants behave differently in their propagation mechanisms, e.g. maize should be handled more cautiously.

The one thing that I have to challenge the proponents and the opposers of GMOs is that they have spent too much time defending their side of the argument without placing much efforts in objectively demonstrating what I think might help the Members of Parliament and indeed members of the public to come to a final informed decision on how to proceed with this matter.

It is a known fact that everything has a risk and that because of this knowledge, we should not either fear to do anything because we are in fear of risk or simply plunge into something recklessly ignoring all the possible risks. What will usually inform our decision to adopt or not adopt something will be our assessment of the risk. I am yet to see a clearly developed objective risk matrix that informs our decision. The discussion, or should I call it argument, has been going on by and between scientists but they forget the major question of demonstrating the risk level in a way that a lay person can easily perceive.

I believe the lay man, just like the legislators who are debating the "GMO Bill", wants to hear answers to the following, seemingly trivial, questions so as to form an informed opinion on GMOs:

1. Would we die or suffer significant negative effects (which and what degree) if we do not adopt GMOs?
2. Why would we not die or suffer significant negative effects if we do not adopt GMOs?
3. Would we die or suffer significant negative effects if we adopted GMOs?
4. Why would we not die or suffer significant negative effects if we adopted GMOs?
5. Would we die or suffer significant negative effects if we do not adopt/perfect alternatives to GMOs?
6. Would we die or suffer significant negative effects if we adopted/perfected alternatives to GMOs?
7. Why would we not die or suffer significant negative effects if we adopted alternatives to GMOs?
8. Why would we not die or suffer significant negative effects if we do not adopt alternatives to GMOs?
9. What would the picture look like if we considered a combination of both in each case?
10. What would happen to the country's trade balance if we adopted/refused to adopt GMOs?
11. What should we do so as not to die from either adopting GMOs or not?

I am pursuaded that coming up with answers to these seemingly simplistic and trivial questions (that can potentially earn me a few insults here and there) would require us to develop and deeply analyse the risk matrices associated with each of the scenarios (perform an objective risk assessment): adopting GMOs, not adopting GMOs, adopting/perfecting alternatives or not. It would require that we identify key issues in each of the scenarios (in various crops and broadening it beyond just food crops) and consider their likelihood of happening and the consequence(s) that we would suffer if they happened. Borrowing from the common risk matrix used, I suggest that we add another (higher) level for both consequences and likelihood of happening/occurrence - the level is 'unknown'. In this case the score associated with 'unknown' on any of the axes should be considered high enough to cause rejection of the technology.

By the way, what are our practical and realistic targets for agriculture in Uganda - some kind of "agriculture agenda" for the nation and where we hope to take agriculture (crop and animal)? Wouldn't it be realistic to define the direction, set the milestones and then define what means we will use to get there? Considering GMO as possibly one of the means, with or without GMO, how far can we go along that journey; how safe during and after the journey; what happens to our trail; etc? This will help some of us regular waninchi ("laymen") see the point for or against GMOs or for a cautious (read objective) middle position.

What do you think?

CONSADOLE SAPPORO AT SAPPORO DOME

It happened on 10 November 2013 on the hanging soccer stage at the all weather sports arena, the Sapporo Dome. The hanging soccer stage is home turf of Sapporo's number one football team, Consadole Sapporo. The home team beat their visitors, Vissel Kobe 1-0 courtesy of a first half goal (penalty). This win gives them hope to qualify for play-offs so that they qualify for promotion to the top league. Two games remain - one away (17 Nov 2013) and the final one at home on 24 Nov 2013. If they maintain this performance they will qualify to tussle with three other clubs for the single promotion position that will be up for grabs.

Nihongo kuras

The country is Nihon, the people are Nihonjin and they speak Nihongo. Some of you know/knew this without entering a classroom. It is a different story from me who had to attend a Nihongo kuras to learn these facts.

Well, it is still work in progress for me but to you who I had not met before I can at least say,

Hajimemashite

Sam des

Uganda kara kimashita

Yoroshiku onegaishimas

More to come in later posts.

Welcome back "the special happy one", Jose Mourinho

It is a delightful time for the Chelsea FC fans and the English media as Mr. Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge as Manager. When he first arrived at Stamford Bridge about 9 years ago he called himself "the special one" but now he believes he is "the happy one".

WORKING TOGETHER FOR ENHANCED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION: LESSONS FROM KARAMOJA

"The life of the Karimojong depend on animals. If their animals die, they will also die!". This statement was made by Mr. John Lorot, the Chairman L.C.5 Nakapiripirit District while stressing a point on the need to prioritise and strengthen animal disease control in the sub-region. This was during a broad stakeholder consultation meeting, the first one of its kind that brought Karamoja district leaders at various levels (CAOs, RDCs, Chairmen); Members of Parliament, officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); District Veterinary Officers; The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries; the Minister of State for Animal Industry and other officials from their ministry; FAO; NGOs notably Dan Church Aid and C&D; Makerere University Vet School and the Uganda Veterinary Association.

I have never seen such a meeting for any region of this country in which central and local government leaders, NGOs, legislators and technical experts sit in one room and soberly yet candidly discuss the direction of livestock farming in the region. Moreover they left with a common position on broad strategies some of which included: improvement of production through breed improvement; appropriate choice of agricultural priorities for the region, enhancing security of stock; community education on zoonotic diseases and methods of their control; enhanced livestock disease surveillance and control; involvement of all levels of stakeholders in the implementation of the electronic branding process; the need to improve numbers of veterinary professionals in the region, among others.

This meeting was organized by C&D within the Dan Church Aid (DCA)-led consortium with ECHO funds. This consortium works on, among others, livestock-related issues in the Karamoja sub-region. The leadership of Dan Church Aid is commendable. The consortium has, over the years, convened quarterly meetings in Moroto in Karamoja to plan livestock production and livestock health. The difference between those meetings and the Karamoja National Stakeholders meeting which was held on 24 September 2012 at Serena Lake Victoria Hotel in Kajansi is that the Moroto meetings did not involve Members of Parliament and Ministers (but all the other categories participated).

The Minister of State for Animal Industry, Hon. Col. (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama, could not hide his excitement about the Karamoja leaders' wish for breed improvement and promised his ministry's commitment to provide all the support possible for this to happen.

While this initiative is excellent, it could still be improved by considering the following:

• For purposes of sustainability, the district leaders and their technical teams should get themselves in the driving seat of this initiative, only getting the much needed initial support from the central government and NGOs.
• There must be active involvement of kraal-level leaders in these joint activities as this also helps with buy-in of new initiatives, ownership of projects/programmes and importantly sustainability of development efforts.

Because of its benefits, other regions ought to emulate this effort that will definitely yield positive results. The OPM could initially implement/pilot this through offices of its various State Ministers.

The benefits of this wider stakeholder involvement include but are not limited to the following: prompt information sharing; provides opportunity for joint envisioning, goal setting, planning and implementation of development projects; encourages accountability and transparency; builds trust among stakeholders and eliminates unproductive conflicts among stakeholders.

With adoption and consistent implementation of the right strategies, the vision of Karamoja becoming a big source of high quality animals and high value animal products for the country and regional markets will surely come to pass. I think Henry Ford's words provide useful guidance in this situation: "Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success". Kudos to the Karamoja leaders (political, technical and development partners) for this initiative but if it is to achieve some success continuing to work together will be key. Ayakau kapei erai ngikup (unity is strength).

(A very slightly modified version of this article was published in the New Vision Newspaper of 7th May 2013)

Kudos Chelsea FC

Congratulations Chelsea FC for making yet another history - being the first to win Europa League Cup while holding the UEFA Champions League trophy. The players deserved it as they played too many games this season, sometimes three games within 10 days! God is good. Read more here

Understanding the EAC Common Market - Part I

I was involved in two major meetings about the EAC within 14 days, one in Kampala (Uganda) and one in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). The Kampala one seemed straight forward as it was a meeting for reviewing a draft livestock policy for the region. The second one was a little more 'interesting' and expectedly so because it brought together (rightfully) a wide cross section of business people, professionals and agencies that support the integration process. The subject of discussion was 'free movement of services' and inevitably the movement of persons (service providers and workers) across borders of partner states.

The private sector players shared lots of bad experiences they have so far gone through with reference to movement of service providers and workers across borders of partner states. Some of the issues the private sector players lamented about are: the difficulty of obtaining work permits timely; disparities in work permit fees; getting the right people for the right jobs on time (obtaining from across borders of the partner states); discriminatory tax treatment; etc. The more dicey one, to me, is the need to recognize the contribution of non-certified, non-accredited skilled persons and to allow them move freely across the borders of EAC partner states. I will dwell on this particular issue in one of the subsequent posts.

More later. Watch this space.

Ethics

Quite a common word it is on lips of many but the practice of it is very rare. As if to put emphasis to this statement, a prominent businessman in Uganda, Dr. William Kalema, while presenting a paper in honor of Dr. Martin Okech Aliker, lamented the lack of ethics in today's Ugandan graduates especially of a university I wouldn't name here. He challenged the trainers to do something to improve this bad name.

While I agree with him that university teachers probably have something to do with it, I do not take it wholesome. There is lots that shapes somebody's morality that may also have some impact on their ethical conduct. This post lists some examples of possibilities:

• Peer influence.
• Family upbringing.
• Influence from the media.
• Idiosyncratic tendencies unique to some individuals.
• Primary and secondary school discipline and practices.
• Community influence - perceived role models in the community.

If the above be some possible contributing factors to the development of habits that are characterised as unethical conduct, then I pity the university teacher who will be expected to, besides guiding the 'raw' young person to acquire specialised knowledge and skills and critical thinking (primary role of the teacher at that level), fully transform their students' ethical behaviour. Never mind that the behaviour was 'formed' over a period of time (outside/before the university) and that factors that contributed to the young person developing unethical behaviour could still exist and are possibly unknown to the teacher (leave alone being able to change them)! May God help us.