Over 8,000 animals to be slaughtered as Muslims celebrate Idd
Some of the animals that are to be slaughtered during Idd-ul-Adhuha celebrations in Jinja City on June 28, 2023. PHOTO/ DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- The price of animals such as goats and sheep have also gone up. In Kalerwe, a city suburb, a goat costs Shs300, 000 up from Shs200, 000.
More than 8,000 animals are to be slaughtered across the country as part of celebrations to mark the annual Idd-ul-Adhuha.
Muslims around the world will tomorrow, Wednesday celebrate Idd-ul-Adhuha which is a feast of sacrifice in commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’ s willingness to obey God’s command to sacrifice his only son Ismail and the latter’s consent to being sacrificed. However, he was later commanded to spare the boy and kill a sheep.
Idd ul-Adhuha is the grand feast Muslims celebrate to mark the end of the year, according to the lunar Islamic calendar.
According to Sheikh Haidar Kizza, the vice chairperson of Humanitarian Efforts And Relief (Hear –Uganda), his organisation alone plans to slaughter 350 cows between Wednesday and Saturday.
Unlike last year, Sheikh Kizza said the number of animals to be slaughtered have dropped due to economic constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and earthquake in Turkey that affected financial flow from their donors.
“Last year, we were able to slaughter 650 cows, but since some of our donors were unable to contribute money as they always do, we ended up buying a few animals,”
“This is in addition to the high taxes imposed on the funds and transportation of animals.” he added.
He said the beef will be distributed to the needy people at mosques, orphanage centres, prisons, hospitals ,police stations and refugee camps across the country.
The demand for animals to slaughter on Idd Day has caused a hike in prices of beef in urban centres with a kilogramme buying between Shs14, 000 and Shs15, 000, down from Shs12, 000 a week ago.
The price of animals such as goats and sheep have also gone up. In Kalerwe, a city suburb, a goat costs Shs300, 000 up from Shs200, 000.
“Animals for Idd are booked early which affects supply in major cattle markets .So ,whenever there is an increase in demand ,automatically the price of items have to go up,” Mr Sulaiman Kitandwe ,a slaughterer at Kalerwe Abattoir said.
Dr Idd Menya, the director of Social Humanitarian Aid Delivery –Uganda, said they have bought cows expensively, each costing between Shs1.5 Million and Shs1.7 million.
He said a total of 3,455 cows are ready for slaughter and their beef donations will go to needy people in the districts of Buikwe, Jinja, Mbale, Luuka and Soroti.
“Last year where we slaughtered 4000, focus was on Western and Northern parts of the country and this time we are helping those in the East,” he said.
Hajjat Shaniah Kigozi, the country Director One Ummah Uganda, a Muslim non-governmental organization they plan to slaughter 150 cows and 700 goats.
She has asked financially stable Muslims to slaughter animals and give meat to the needy.
"Don't wait for organisations to give you meat. If you are capable of buying one, please slaughter and share with your neighbours and needy people because that is what Allah tells us," she emphasised.
