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Kampala, Uganda | URN | Several Kampala suburbs are still grappling with uncollected garbage nearly a week after the inaugural National Cleaning Day.
Concerns over public health are emerging as heaps of waste continue to rot along roadsides and near homes and businesses.
A Uganda Radio Network survey found large piles of garbage in Bwaise, Munaku, Nabulagala in Lubaga Division, Kawempe Tula Road, Kyadondo Medical Centre Junction in Kawempe and Kibuli, despite Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) reporting that it had cleared most of the waste generated during last Saturday’s nationwide cleanup.
One of the worst affected areas is Mukalazi Road in Bwaise, where garbage collected during the exercise remains piled along the roadside, some of it close to restaurants, food kiosks and residential homes.
Residents say the waste has begun decomposing, producing a foul smell and attracting flies and maggots, increasing fears of disease outbreaks.
Hajjat Sharifah Nabitalo, a resident of Bugalani Zone in Bwaise, said the delay in collecting the garbage has made life difficult for nearby residents and business operators. She urged KCCA to remove the waste before it becomes a public health hazard.
Dennis Seguya, a resident of Nakamiro Zone, said residents followed KCCA’s guidance by placing garbage along the roadside during the cleanup exercise but have waited nearly a week for it to be collected.
He said some residents have resorted to burning the waste, creating another environmental problem through air pollution.
Milly Nasejje also appealed to KCCA to collect the remaining garbage, warning that prolonged exposure to the waste could increase the risk of disease in the community.
Joseph Miti Kabazzi, a resident of Mugoowa Zone, said the accumulated garbage is affecting businesses because some of the heaps are located directly outside restaurants and shops.
He said the waste has started producing maggots and an unbearable stench.
KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki acknowledged that the city generated an unusually large volume of waste during the inaugural National Cleaning Day, with Makindye Division producing the highest amount.
She said the authority had already cleared most of the garbage across the city but admitted that collection was still ongoing in some communities.
According to Buzeki, more than 15 trucks have been deployed in Makindye Division to clear the remaining waste, and teams are continuing to collect garbage from other affected areas.
Meanwhile, KCCA says future National Cleaning Days will operate differently.
Dr Sarah Zalwango, the authority’s Director of Public Health, said residents will be expected to take their garbage directly to designated collection trucks instead of leaving it along roadsides after community clean-up exercises.
She added that residents will also be required to demonstrate that they are subscribed to regular waste collection services, saying National Cleaning Day should not become an opportunity to dispose of waste that has accumulated over several months.
Dr Zalwango also encouraged households to sort waste at source to improve recycling and make collection more efficient.
Although KCCA says it has removed the bulk of the waste generated during the city-wide exercise, residents in several suburbs are urging the authority to complete the cleanup quickly before the remaining garbage creates a public health emergency.
