We need to be health-conscious during city cleaning projects

Does the mayor know that the dust and smoke arising out of the cleaning exercise was a danger to their health?

The Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago on NTV News, leading a crowd of supporters to clean the city. They were sweeping garbage and burning it. The garbage contained all sorts of materials including plastics. When burnt, the plastics pollute the air. The people who were cleaning, including the mayor, did not have any protective clothing and were inhaling dust and smoke.

Does the mayor know that the dust and smoke arising out of the cleaning exercise was a danger to their health?

I heard from Madam Jennifer Musisi, the executive director of KCCA, that the mayor‘s office gets Shs250 million every three months for travel abroad. What is the output or outcome of this travel? Where the lord Mayor travels to, do they also burn their garbage in the open like that? What is the cost of garbage truck or an incinerator? Could the Shs250million be put to better use by buying these very important items that can contribute to the cleanliness of the city?

I urge our leaders to be serious and clean up our environment but to also be mindful of our health.

Let us reconsider our budgets and put money where it is most needed. If the mayor got sick from the cleaning he could get treatment abroad; but the poor city dwellers who were on his cleaning team might end up without any treatment. I also urge NEMA to educate people about the dangers of burning plastics in open air.
Federica Nshemereirwe
fnshemereirwe@yahoo.com