Garbage collecting companies are not doing enough to fix the problem in the city

Garbage collection continues to be a challenge in Kampala with people living in the suburbs accusing the city authority of doing little to clean up their areas.

Uganda Radio Network visited some of the suburbs in different divisions of Kampala and found out that garbage sometimes stays uncollected for up to three weeks. Some of the areas affected include Kilombe and Kazinga in Nakawa Division; Katwe - Nkele, Madirisa and Kikubamutwe zones in Makindye Division; Kisenyi II and Muzana Zone in Central Division among other areas.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) which is mandated to collect garbage weekly introduced a self-loading program in May 2016 where trucks that collect garbage come and residents load garbage onto them.

KCCA also contracted three companies to take charge of collecting garbage. The companies are; Kampala Solid Waste Management Consortium Limited, Homeklin Uganda Limited and M/s Nabugabo Updeal Joint Venture.

Their impact is, however, yet to be felt as trucks do not reach some areas to collect garbage. Residents and business owners in these areas say that sanitation in the city remains wanting with others claiming that companies that were contracted to collect the garbage abandoned their job.

Residents also fault KCCA for failing to clear garbage and open up the trenches.

Michael Matovu, a businessman dealing in electronics in Kawempe says that garbage collectors do their work as if they don't want. Matovu says that the foul smell from the uncollected garbage in the drainage channels has chased away customers.

Matovu says the problem emanates from irresponsible disposal of garbage by the locals and failure by KCCA to act on time to clean up the mess.

Juliet Atuhaire, a businesswoman selling clothes in Kisenyi II Parish, says garbage has been piling up each day, but none of the officials seems bothered.

Ezra Ssenkumbi, a resident of Madirisa zone in Makindye Division, says they are at a risk of contracting diseases such as Cholera and Dysentery because of uncollected garbage in the area.

Ssenkumbi explains that sometimes residents throw dead animals in the garbage skip leaving the place stinking for weeks.

He says that despite KCCA's effort to introduce self-loading programmes, residents were not sensitized fully and were not given a specific timetable.

Robert Kalumba, KCCA Assistant Communications and Media Relations Manager, admits that they have failed to collect garbage to people's expectations.

Kalumba says that self-loading programme is not performing at its best because contracted companies still do not have enough garbage collecting trucks.

He also faults locals for not considering proper garbage disposal as a priority.

-URN