Namutumba seeks contractor to run Shs100m milk cooler

Authorities in Namutumba District are looking for a contractor to run a Shs100 million milk cooler tank, which has sat idle in Nakyere Village, Namutumba Sub-county for the past 17 years.

The 1,500-litre facility was established during the 2008/2009 financial year as part of a presidential initiative under the Community Agriculture Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CAIIP) to add value to milk after the government distributed heifers to model farmer groups in the Busoga Sub-region.

However, it is rusting away because dairy farmers failed to produce adequate milk.

The Namutumba Sub-county leadership recently convened a special council meeting, during which they resolved to hire a contractor starting next month to ensure the facility becomes operational.

Mr Hakim Mabanda, a youth councillor, said they will seek approval from the Chief Administrative Officer to advertise for a contractor in the newspapers.

He said the longer the milk cooler remains non-operational, the more it will deteriorate due to rust.

“The contractor will sign a performance-driven five-year renewable Memorandum of Understanding with the Namutumba Sub-county leadership,” Mr Mabanda said in an interview on Tuesday.

He added that besides boosting local revenue, youth will be employed to operate the cooler tank, while others will be hired as milk vendors.

The Namutumba Sub-county vice chairperson representing Kigalama Parish, Mr Azama Menya, said getting a contractor to supply the cooler tank with sufficient milk is the best alternative rather than relocating it to an urban centre or Bushenyi.

Last month, Ms Annet Batuvamu Neka, the Secretary for Production in Nawaikona Sub-county, suggested that the facility be relocated to Namutumba Town Council.

This prompted the District Internal Security Officer (DISO), Mr Fred Musoke, to issue a six-month ultimatum to the Namutumba Sub-county leadership to ensure the milk cooler is operational by February next year. If not, he warned, the cooler would be relocated to Bushenyi District, which he noted has higher milk production.

“Since dairy farmers failed to produce sufficient milk, what we are looking at now is to see that the milk cooler tank starts operating to boost local revenue,” Mr Menya said, adding that the sub-county lacks a dairy farmers’ cooperative to oversee its operation.

“Imagine how much money the sub-county has lost in local revenue for the last 17 years,” Mr Menya said.

The Namutumba Sub-county Speaker, Mr Peter Musenero, encouraged farmers to start producing milk which they will sell to the contractor.

The LC3 chairperson, Mr Samuel Gusango, said: “The challenge now is getting a contractor; we have dairy farmers’ groups in the district, but convincing them to come and run the milk cooler tank in a rural area is becoming difficult, but the contractor will be ready to work in a rural area.”