As you wake up every morning to go to work in the bright streets of Kampala, you have probably noticed ladies and gentlemen sweeping the streets like clockwork. Have you ever paid attention to the many garbage trucks that move around town collecting waste at different hours of the day? As a child, I always wondered who cares for the garbage that leaves my home, and where it went. Now that I am grown, this question has been answered. 

All things in Kampala are handled and taken care of by one organisation famously known as the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). This Authority is mandated with the provision of services in the city that enable residents and businesses operating in the city to function in an environment that supports development. Waste management is part of this mandate; however, it is a no-brainer that this is not a one-man job.  

Solid waste collection and garbage management are key services provided by the council. KCCA has contracted private companies to manage solid waste collection to improve the cleanliness of the city. It is estimated that the per capita generation of garbage is one kilogram per day. With a population of about 1.5 million, this works out to about 1500 tons. The council can only manage to dispose of 40% – 50% of this. About 80% of this garbage is organic matter which makes it very bulky to handle.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN KAMPALA. 

One of the major causes of poor waste management in Kampala can be solely credited to our poor garbage disposal system. We tend to throw waste all over our streets and even in our water channels, which alone carries grave repercussions. In 2020, the President of Uganda gave the mandate to KCCA to manage solid waste around Kampala. These services included the following directives:

a) Free Garbage collection was to be done from households located in the 35 informal/low-income zones (slums) listed in the table attached to this statement. This shall not apply to businesses found in these informal/low-income settlements.

b) The garbage collection would be done every Wednesday of the week using the “bring to truck” mode of collection. For each time of collection, a household was allowed 100 litres.

c) Garbage collection from households in the selected zones whose waste will be collected on other days of the week (other than Wednesday) and of higher volume than the one stated above, would be done at negotiable fees per month depending on the volume of waste and frequency of collection.

d) Households located in informal settlements would pay monthly fees of UGX 3,000 per month for a one-time collection per week.

e) KCCA would continue collecting garbage from 277 selected zones/informal settlements/markets across all five divisions at no cost and with differing frequencies.

KCCA has taken its mandate seriously and has endeavoured to better manage waste collection throughout Kampala, however even with these efforts according to statistics, still, about 50% of our waste is left unmanaged affecting our public hygiene. The council

 disposes of most of our municipal waste at a landfill located in Kiteezi, about 15km away from Kampala. This landfill covers about 35 acres of land. Much of the waste is unsorted, and because of this some hazardous waste makes its way to the landfill. 

WASTE MANAGEMENT GOALS IN KAMPALA.

1) To ensure that solid waste is properly managed, disposed of, transported, and properly recycled. There are specific regulations provided for by the National Environmental Management Authority that governs how this is done.

2) To build partnerships that will help waste management in the city. KCCA partnered with Korea to manage waste in Uganda in 2022. 

3) Sensitizing and involving communities. No matter how much we try to ignore it, the waste we are so concerned about comes from us. Sensitizing communities and people is the best way to fight this problem.

“Think before you trash it.”

–Go Green