Kampala suburbs still littered with uncollected garbage a week after National Cleaning Day

Several Kampala suburbs are still grappling with uncollected garbage a week after the inaugural National Cleaning Day, raising concerns about public health.

Residents say heaps of waste continue to rot along roadsides and near homes and businesses, creating foul smells and attracting flies and other disease-causing pests.

A URN survey found large piles of garbage in Bwaise, Munaku, Nabulagala in Lubaga Division, Tula Road in Kawempe, Kyadondo Medical Centre Junction, 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-hit areas is Mukalazi Road in Bwaise, where garbage collected during the exercise remains piled along the roadside, some of it near restaurants, food kiosks and residential homes.

Residents say the waste has started decomposing, producing a strong stench and attracting flies and maggots, heightening 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 poses a serious public health risk. Dennis Seguya, a resident of Nakamiro Zone, said residents complied with 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 challenge 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 waste heaps are located directly outside restaurants and shops.

He said the decomposing waste has started producing maggots and an unbearable stench, discouraging customers. 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 areas.

According to Buzeki, more than 15 trucks have been deployed in Makindye Division to remove the remaining waste, while collection teams continue to clear garbage from other affected communities.

Meanwhile, KCCA says future National Cleaning Days will be managed differently. The authority’s director of Public Health, Dr Sarah Zalwango, said residents will be required 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 expected to demonstrate that they are subscribed to regular waste collection services, saying National Cleaning Day should not become an opportunity to dispose of garbage accumulated over several months.

Zalwango also encouraged households to separate 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 promptly to prevent the remaining garbage from becoming a public health hazard.

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