Mbale to generate power from waste

Mbale-The mayor of Mbale Municipal Council, Mr Mutwalibi Mafabi Zandya, has said the waste–to-energy project is in its advanced stages.
The project aims at turning waste into electricity that will be connected to national grid.

“This is good development and implementation is in advanced stages. We want to see the town free from garbage menace,” he said on Saturday.
Mr Mafabi added that the initiative will address the perennial power blackout in the town.

The contract
Mbale Municipal Council signed a deal with a Swedish investor in May to manage the town’s waste by turning it into energy/ electricity.
The town once referred to as the “Jewel of East Africa” by former President Milton Obote, has been struggling with the problem of garbage for decades due to poor collection system.

This has left the residents grappling with smell from heaps of garbage.
The most affected are the vendors operating in the Central Market, Bugwere Market, Mbale taxi and bus parks, among others.
With the signing of the pact, local leaders and residents are hopeful for change.

According to the memorandum of understanding, the investor will construct a waste management plant and in turn use it to generate electricity.
The investor, Mr Per Brandes, old the councillors during a meeting in municipal chambers on Saturday that it was unfortunate that garbage is looked at as a problem instead of a resource in Uganda.

“In European countries, garbage is very expensive and people are fighting for it because they have known that it is a resource,” he said.
Mr Brandes said the project would require 100 tonnes of garbage daily to produce on average 60 megawatts of power.
“As people burn this waste, it can spread cancer because smoke is very poisonous. Generating power out of garbage will make the town clean and hospitable,” he said.

Mr Abdallah Magambo, a resident, said the municipal council has potential to manage garbage but it has failed due to corruption.
Mr Mafabi also said this is part of the municipal council’s solid waste management strategy and drainage management master plan ahead of the operationalisation of the town into a city.

Mbale is one of the municipalities that have been approved as regional cities, scheduled to start operations in July, 2020.
Other towns include Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Fort Portal, Masaka and Mbarara.

The mayor also revealed of having updated on the municipality physical development plan and established a geographic information system.
The municipal spokesperson, Mr James Kutosi, said the project will provide job opportunities.

Mr Paul Batanda, the town clerk, said the project will also increase the revenue and infrastructure in the municipality.
Mr Yasin Kawanguzi, the deputy speaker Mbale municipal council, said the government should support the municipal leadership to offer the investor a conducive environment to operate.

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