news 1 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Ugandan Vets Demand Review of Steep Shs500,000 Annual License Fees
Over 1,200 veterinary professionals from 92 districts have petitioned the Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze, to suspend and review the Uganda Veterinary Council's new annual licensing fees, which jumped to Shs500,000 for surgeons and Shs340,000 for paraprofessionals. They warn the hikes threaten rural veterinary services, smallholder farmers, and key government programs like PDM and FMD control. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/vets-petition-minister-over-shs500-000-license-fees-5442920
A coalition of more than 1,200 vets and paraprofessionals from across 92 Ugandan districts delivered a petition on April 30 to Minister Frank Tumwebaze, urging an immediate halt to the Uganda Veterinary Council’s (UVC) sharp fee increases.
Led by Dr. Dickson Tayebwa and Dr. Joseph Byaruhanga, the group highlighted the rise from Shs150,000 to Shs500,000 for veterinary surgeons and from Shs100,000 to Shs340,000 for paraprofessionals. They called the changes unrealistic and poorly consulted, arguing they would drive professionals away and make services unaffordable.
Uganda faces a critical shortage, needing 4,529 vets and 19,719 paraprofessionals for its districts and sub-counties, but only has 372 registered vets and 998 paraprofessionals, covering minimal areas. Just 11 vet clinics exist nationwide against a need for over 2,000.
The petitioners warned of impacts on smallholder farmers, who form 80% of livestock keepers, and programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) serving 1.25 million households with Shs3.3 trillion, plus Foot-and-Mouth Disease control via vaccinations.
“This is not regulation but punishment,” one leader stated, noting Uganda’s fees now top East Africa at $132, exceeding Kenya ($93), Tanzania ($89), and Rwanda ($20.50). Locally, vets pay over twice what doctors or lawyers do.
They listed eight demands: suspend fees, recall the 2026 register, hold a stakeholder meeting in 30 days, approve affordable rates (Shs200,000 for surgeons, Shs160,000 for paraprofessionals), refund overpayments, and offer a one-year grace period.
Only 373 vets have paid so far, mostly in central Uganda, leaving rural areas underserved. Efforts to reach the minister failed.
Source: Daily Monitor