President Museveni signs three Bills into law

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KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni has signed three Bills into law, including one that spells out a seven-year jail sentence or fine of sh10 million or both for any veterinary practitioner convicted under it.

The three Bills that were recently passed by Parliament are the Veterinary Practitioners’ Act of 2023, the National Records and Archives (Amendment) Act of 2024, and the Animal Feeds Act, which is also of 2024. 

“The President assented to the Bills today, Tuesday, May 14, 2024,” a brief statement by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) said.

The Veterinary Practitioners’ Bill, which was enacted on August 30, 2023, says veterinary practitioners whose licences are revoked, but continue to practice and in the process cause death to animals or humans face a seven-year jail sentence, or a fine of sh10, or both.

The committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, which scrutinised the Bill, said in its report to the House that the jail sentence was moved from two years to seven years to act as a deterrent.

The new law further imposes a penalty of sh5m against a registered veterinary practitioner found culpable of professional misconduct and also requires all private practitioners to register with the Veterinary Council, and issued licences while public practitioners will be exempted from being licenced. 

But the National Records and Archives (Amendment) Bill, which was enacted on February 27, 2024, gave effect to the Government policy for rationalisation of government agencies and public expenditure adopted by Cabinet on February 22, 2O21.

Now the National Records and Archives Agency is set to be dissolved and its functions transferred to the Ministry of Public Service following the signing into law of this Act.

In February this year, President Museveni told the National Resistance Movement party’s parliamentary caucus that the Government would save sh1 trillion every year in rationalising its agencies.

“This subject we are dealing with is a strategic one. If you don’t answer strategic answers correctly, you end up with problems and when you answer them correctly, you win. When we talk of rationalization, we are talking of, first of all, doing things that are rational and save money,” he said.

And thirdly, the Animal Feeds Bill, which was enacted on February 20, 2024, created a committee to regulate production, storage, importation, exportation, and marketing of animal feeds. It says a person seeking to engage in the production, storage, and sale of animal feeds will apply for a licence which shall be considered within three months. 

A similar arrangement is prescribed for anyone seeking a permit for premises to be used for storage, sale, and production of the feeds.

It will also require exporters to obtain a sanitation certificate which will be approved by the committee. 

It guards against contamination of animal feeds by prohibiting the use of contaminants and providing safety measures for transportation of the feeds.  

It will be at the discretion of the minister to provide guidelines regarding transportation, following the removal of licensing transportation from the enacted Bill.