Arua drafts waste plan as composting plant exceeds capacity

Arua, Uganda | URN | Arua City Council is seeking to address its growing waste management challenges with a new plan that proposes regulating garbage generation, collection, transportation, treatment, disposal, and recycling.

The proposed Solid Waste Management Plan 2026 comes amid complaints over uncollected garbage along some city streets, including Iddi Amin Road and Hospital Road, as well as other locations in Kenya Ward.

City authorities attribute the problem to inadequate equipment and limited capacity at the city’s composting plant, which is struggling to handle the increasing volume of waste.

Joseph Ayaba, Arua City Secretary for Social Services, said the plan would provide a framework for enforcing proper waste management practices once the council approves it. He said the proposed measures would cover the different stages of waste management, from generation and collection to transportation, treatment, recycling and final disposal.

The plan identifies residential areas, markets, commercial establishments, institutions and public places as major sources of waste, some of which is poorly managed. It seeks to promote responsible waste handling, particularly in urban areas where most of the waste is generated.

The plan was presented for its first reading during a council meeting on Thursday October 8, where councillors expressed support for the proposal. It had earlier been discussed by the General Purpose Committee and was referred back for further debate and stakeholder consultations.

Arua City Mayor Alionzi Lawrence acknowledged that the city’s composting plant had exceeded its designed capacity. He said the facility, established in 2013 to handle about 70 tonnes of solid waste, was now receiving more than 100 tonnes. The situation has been compounded by illegal dumping at the site by some community members.

Alionzi said the city planned to rehabilitate the plant, procure additional solid waste management equipment and develop detailed physical plans for seven areas under a climate resilience project.

The 90-billion-shilling project, funded by the German government through KfW Development Bank, will also support water projects to be implemented by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation in the Arua area. Arua City Council Speaker Yako Teddy Gloria referred the proposed Solid Waste Management Plan 2026 to the General Purpose Committee for further discussions with city stakeholders.

The consultations are expected to generate proposals on how the plan can be implemented to improve waste collection and disposal and promote a cleaner, healthier urban environment.