The ministry of Agriculture bought 71 goats from South Africa at Shs 7.3 million each some of which ended up dying within one week of distribution, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard yesterday.
They were purchased under the Shs 15 billion Goat Roll-Out project which was implemented in seven districts.
The eye-catching revealation was first brought to light in the December 2023 Auditor General’s report. The AG had tasked the ministry Agriculture to explain circumstances under which Shs7.3Mn was spent on the purchase of each goat.
According to the Auditor General, John Muwanga, all the 150 goats distributed in Nakasongola district worth Shs52.5M had died, whereas in Gomba district, out of the 700 goats distributed worth Shs245Mn, 259 goats valued at Shs90.7M had died, thus indicating thata total of 409 goats out of 850 distributed in Gomba and Nakasongola worth Shs143Mn had died by the time of audit in September 2023.
Steven Kajura, project coordinator at the ministry of Agriculture defended the purchase before the MPs.
“The goats were got from South Africa & Namibia, we bought high pedigree animals and that cost includes cost insurance and flight so it came to Shs7.3Mn. The exotic pedigree animals are usually very expensive, you are free to google and you will come to around the same range,” Kajura said.
Kajura will interface again with the committee today to throw more light on the serious matter.