Njeru fronts marathon to fight waste disposal

Waste. Dealers search for plastics in a garbage heap in Soroti District. Njeru Municipal Council leadership is organising a marathon to raise funds to purchase garbage collecting trucks. PHOTO BY GEORGE MURON

The Njeru Municipal Council leadership is organising a marathon to raise funds to buy garbage collecting trucks as part of a strategy to reduce litter in the town.

Garbage is often dumped by residents of Kitigoma, Nakibizi, Namwezi, Kasanja and Mbikko villages because they lack garbage collecting trucks.

Mr John Bisiku, the Njeru Municipality environment officer, says despite the sensitisation of residents on the dangers of poor garbage disposal, littering has persisted.

He says the Municipal Council is yet to acquire the garbage trucks.

Mr Bisiku now says they have been forced to devise means to ensure the municipality remains clean.

“We have collaborated with many companies and individuals who are stakeholders in Njeru to organise a marathon to raise funds and buy garbage trucks. One of the companies is Nytil Ltd. The race is set for Saturday,” he said on Monday.

“We have also lined up stringent measures, including penalties for individuals found littering garbage. We do not want the garbage to become a health hazard yet we can intervene,” Mr Bisiku adds.

A statement released at a recent municipality budget conference indicates that the council will announce a small fee to be paid by each family to have garbage disposed at the collecting centres.

The village chairpersons are expected to communicate the fee of which 30 per cent will be retained for cleaning the villages.

Mr Grace Wesigye, a businessman in Njeru Municipality, welcomed the idea of paying for the garbage, saying it will help beautify the municipality.

“We have heard about the new arrangement where municipality authorities are organising a marathon to raise funds for garbage collecting trucks. The strategy is good but we also call for efficiency in managing some of the garbage that does not call for the motorised trucks,” Mr Yowana Kefa Balyeku, another businessman, says.

Njeru Municipality expects to raise more than Shs50 million from the marathon.
Ms Sharifah Nakintu, the town clerk for Njeru Municipality, however, warned all those who are found of littering garbage.

“The council passed a by-law to pay for garbage collection. If you are caught littering, you will be fined Shs50,000. We want people to adopt collecting garbage in sacks rather than littering,” Ms Nakintu says.

Njeru Municipality has a population of about 159,549 people according to the 2014 population and housing census. The population has, however, grown to an estimated 165,000 over the years.