KAMPALA — The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has announced plans to decommission and clear waste dumping sites in Busega’s Kigwanya and Kabaale zones as it intensifies efforts to improve waste management and sanitation across the city.
The announcement was made during the latest Weyonje campaign held in the two Busega zones, where KCCA leaders and technical officials urged residents to abandon indiscriminate dumping and instead embrace the “bring-to-truck” waste collection system.
The campaign brought together the Kampala Lord Mayor, Ronald Balimwezo Nsubuga KCCA Deputy Executive Director Eng. Benon Kigenyi, KCCA Director of Public Health Dr Sarah Zalwango, the area councillor and residents.
Eng. Kigenyi said KCCA would move to clear the existing dump sites in Kigwanya and Kabaale as part of measures to restore cleanliness and improve public health.
He further said KCCA, working together with the Ministry of Water, would construct wells in the affected communities to complement efforts aimed at improving sanitation and access to clean water.
The intervention comes amid concerns over waste accumulation in densely populated parts of Busega, where informal settlements have continued to put pressure on waste collection and sanitation infrastructure.
Bring waste to the truck
The Lord Mayor used the campaign to call on residents to change their approach to waste disposal, particularly by embracing the bring-to-truck system.
He urged households to keep their waste until collection trucks arrive and then take it to the designated trucks instead of throwing it into drainage channels, roads, open spaces and other undesignated areas.
He warned that improper disposal of garbage contributes to blocked drainage channels, environmental pollution and flooding, especially during heavy rains.
The Lord Mayor also cautioned residents against burning waste, urging them to use approved collection and disposal mechanisms.
He said cleanliness should not only be observed during organised cleaning exercises but should become a daily responsibility for every household and community.
Every household to have a toilet
The Lord Mayor also launched an operation aimed at ensuring that every household has a toilet, putting household sanitation at the centre of the Weyonje campaign.
He urged residents to recognise access to proper sanitation as a basic responsibility and encouraged landlords and tenants to work together to improve hygiene within their communities.
The sanitation campaign is expected to complement KCCA’s efforts to eliminate open dumping and improve the overall health and living conditions of residents.
Busega’s slum challenge
The area councillor for Busega Parish at KCCA said the sanitation situation requires urgent attention because about 70 per cent of Busega consists of slum areas.
The councillor called on KCCA to “work tooth and nail” to construct more public toilets and ensure that all existing waste dumping sites are cleared.
According to the councillor, the high population density and informal nature of many settlements in Busega make access to sanitation facilities and proper waste disposal systems particularly important.
The councillor urged KCCA to prioritise public toilets and waste management infrastructure in the area to reduce the health risks associated with poor sanitation.
Dr Zalwango stresses public health
KCCA Director of Public Health Dr Sarah Zalwango also addressed residents during the campaign, reinforcing the link between sanitation, waste management and public health.
She encouraged residents to take personal responsibility for keeping their homes and surrounding areas clean, while cooperating with KCCA teams during waste collection and community cleaning exercises.
The public health component of the Weyonje campaign focuses on preventing disease by improving household sanitation, waste disposal and the general cleanliness of communities.
National Cleaning Day
The Lord Mayor further urged residents to maintain the habit of taking waste to collection trucks, particularly during and after National Cleaning Day activities.
He cautioned against a situation where communities clean their surroundings during a designated cleaning exercise only to return to indiscriminate dumping afterwards.
KCCA wants residents to see waste management as a continuous responsibility, with households expected to properly store their waste and hand it over to collection trucks rather than dumping it on roads or in drainage channels.
The decommissioning of dump sites in Kigwanya and Kabaale, coupled with the planned water interventions and increased sanitation sensitisation, is expected to give the Busega communities a cleaner environment.
However, KCCA officials stressed that the success of the intervention will ultimately depend on residents changing their waste disposal habits.
Daily MirrorUG understands that the Weyonje campaign will continue targeting different communities across Kampala as KCCA steps up efforts to eliminate illegal dumping, improve sanitation and promote a culture of responsible waste management.
