KAMPALA — Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has intensified its campaign on proper waste management, with Director of Public Health Dr Sarah Zalwango and Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki leading a community sensitisation drive on the importance of separating waste at the source in Nakawa Division.
The activity, conducted under KCCA’s Weyonje! campaign, brought together city officials, sanitation workers, security personnel and members of the community in a practical demonstration aimed at encouraging residents to take greater responsibility for the cleanliness of their homes, businesses and neighbourhoods.
Dr Zalwango used the engagement to teach residents about waste separation at source, urging households and businesses to avoid mixing different types of waste before collection.
Participants were shown how waste can be sorted into different categories, including organic waste, plastics and other recyclable or inorganic materials. The initiative is intended to make waste collection and recycling more efficient while reducing the amount of garbage ending up on roadsides, drainage channels and other public spaces.
“Separate waste where it is generated”
Dr Zalwango emphasised that proper waste management begins at the household level and requires the active participation of residents.
The campaign encourages people to reduce, reuse and recycle, while ensuring that waste is placed in appropriate containers for easier collection and processing.
The practical approach saw officials and volunteers put on protective gloves and participate in cleaning activities, demonstrating that keeping the city clean is a responsibility shared by authorities and the public.
The exercise also featured public awareness materials carrying messages on waste separation, with residents encouraged to embrace better sanitation practices as part of efforts to build a cleaner and healthier Kampala.
Buzeki joins residents in sanitation drive
Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki also participated in the community engagement, reinforcing KCCA’s message that sustainable waste management requires cooperation between the authority, private waste collectors, businesses and ordinary residents.
The exercise forms part of the broader Weyonje! campaign, through which KCCA continues to mobilise communities to improve sanitation and eliminate poor waste disposal practices across the city.
The campaign comes amid continuing concerns over household waste, illegal dumping and rubbish accumulating along roadsides and in drainage channels in some parts of Kampala.
KCCA has increasingly placed emphasis on community participation, arguing that enforcement alone cannot solve the city’s waste-management challenges.
A birthday celebration amid the clean-up
The sanitation activity also took a celebratory turn as Hajjat Buzeki marked her birthday during the event.
Amid the community work and sensitisation activities, a birthday cake was served, providing an opportunity for colleagues and participants to celebrate the Executive Director.
The celebration added a lighter and more personal moment to an event largely focused on public health, sanitation and environmental responsibility.
Despite the birthday moment, the activities remained centred on the message of keeping Kampala clean, with participants continuing to engage in practical cleaning and waste-management activities.
Community urged to change behaviour
KCCA officials stressed that maintaining a clean city cannot be left solely to government agencies or garbage collectors.
Residents were encouraged to properly package and separate their waste, use designated collection arrangements and avoid dumping rubbish in drainage channels, streets and undeveloped spaces.
The separation of waste at source is particularly important because it allows recyclable materials to be recovered more easily while organic waste can be handled separately.
The approach can also reduce the volume of waste requiring final disposal and create opportunities for recycling and other forms of waste recovery.
The Nakawa engagement therefore served both as a public health sensitisation exercise and a practical demonstration of how residents can contribute to cleaner communities.
Through the Weyonje! campaign, KCCA continues to push the message that a cleaner Kampala begins with individual households and communities taking responsibility for the waste they generate.
For Nakawa residents, the message from the exercise was clear: waste management starts at the source, and keeping the city clean requires everyone to play their part.
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