Assessment of abattior waste management at Kalerwe abattior in Kawempe Division and City abattior in Nakawa Division of KCCA

Abstract

An abattoir is a facility where animals are slaughtered. This is where the inspection of animals, hygienic slaughtering and processing to ensure effective preservation and storage or delivery of meat products fit for human consumption occurs. Abattoirs produce wastes during their operations and the abattoir wastes are categorized into solid wastes and liquid wastes. The solid wastes include condemned parts of the animal; organs, carcasses, hides, trimmings, undigested feed, bones, horns, hair, foetuses, fat, etc. The liquid wastes include blood, bile, dissolved detergent chemicals, urine and water runoff from operation areas like lairage, stunning or bleeding sections. Poor management of abattoir wastes gives chance for potential contamination of the animal products destined for human consumption. The city abattoirs, having been given out to private sector for management, may have varying policies and practices for the control of abattoir waste. A cross sectional study aimed at assessment of abattoir waste management in Kalerwe abattoir and City abattoir of KCCA was carried out. It was a comparative study between the two abattoirs. It was a qualitative study to assess the facilities used at the abattoirs, policies and practices towards wastes management at each abattoir. The study was conducted within the abattoir premises, surrounding environment and neighbourhood. A total of 154 representative respondents were considered from both abattoirs as determined by the sampling methodology. The majority of respondents (52%) were from city abattoir, then 48% from Kalerwe abattoir the respondents involved abattoir workers, abattoir inspectors and people living near the abattoir premises. Participants provided information through structured questionnaire and interviews that were prepared on using google forms. The abattoirs had four methods of management of wastes; rendering, incineration, composition and land spreading of the wastes. Rendering is the commonest wastes management practice and from both abattoirs having the highest choice response, followed by incineration again being the second highest from both abattoirs. Composition is the third highest wastes management practice being individually the third highest from both abattoirs and in the fourth place was found to be land spreading. Generally, the highest percentage of respondents (97.39% respondents at City abattoir and 89% at Kalerwe abattoir) were aware of at least one method of rendering or recycling used at abattoirs to manage wastes. Comparing the two, Kalerwe abattoir had a higher number of people (14.5% respondents) who weren’t sure about the methods and 4.4% claimed not be knowledgeable. There are various products processed back into use by the abattoir but the highest percentage of respondents (34% at city abattoir and 29% at Kalerwe abattoir) said it was ‘’blood’’ followed by those who gave out ‘’hides and skin’’ and then those who chose ‘’rumen content’’ The highest percentage of respondents at Kalerwe abattoir (45.29%) replied that the wastes like condemned organs were used as dogs’ food, then a sector of respondents also said that wastes like blood was generally collected and taken to be utilized as animal feeds. At City abattoir a sector of respondents (25.14%) said that hides and skins were used for making leather and blood as poultry feeds (54%) The study revealed that there is no association between the type of abattoir and its hygiene (Fisher’s exact = 0.09 < p value =0.05). Therefore, an abattoir being clean or not is not influenced on whether it was a City or Kalerwe abattoir.