City councillors want slums exempted from garbage fees

A section of councillors in Nakawa Division are pushing city authorities to exempt slum dwellers from paying garbage fees.
Led by the deputy division mayor, Ms Florence Namata, the councillors argue that slum dwellers cannot afford monthly garbage fees to private garbage collection firms contracted by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).

A recent study by the International Organisation for Migration in Kampala slums revealed that only 12 per cent of the dwellers are formally employed. More than 53.2 per cent of slum dwellers earn less than Shs100,000 a month, the study adds.
Ms Namata claims that Nakawa Division has the biggest percentage of low income earners and since they are subjected to monthly garbage fees, many have resorted to dumping it in water channels.

“According to the research we carried out in Nakawa Division, majority of our people are poor and stay in slums. We request that they are exempted from paying garbage fees in the meantime. We are going to sensitise them and with time, they will get to know how to manage garbage,” Ms Namata said during a recent council meeting at the division headquarters.

Currently, city residents are charged between Shs3,000 and Shs30,000 for garbage collection monthly, depending on the amount of waste generated.
City dwellers generate between 1,200 and 1,500 tonnes of garbage daily, according to KCCA statistics, and only about 500 tonnes of garbage are collected.

Appeal
The councillors also want to KCCA streamline the operations of private garbage collection companies in the city.
“We still have unauthorised companies which are operating in some areas and nothing has been done. Even those that are authorised do not have enough trucks to do the work,” she adds.

However, Kampala minister Beti Kamya disagrees with the proposal that slum dwellers should not have money to pay for garbage.
“Like you said, we just need to sensitise our people and I am sure they will appreciate why they should pay some small money for the garbage they generate. World over, city dwellers pay some garbage fee,” Ms Kamya said.

The minister added that KCCA had agreed to allocate one garbage truck to every division that will be supervised by councillors themselves to collect garbage in areas where private companies do not reach.

Initially, KCCA was tasked with the sole duty of collecting garbage in all the five city divisions until 2015 when it contracted three private firms; Nabugabo Updeal Venture Ltd, Homeklin Ltd and Kampala Solid Waste Management Consortium.
However, there have been calls from various quarters urging KCCA to allow other companies to join the business, saying this will create competition and also improve service delivery.

KCCA boss speaks out
While meeting stakeholders in Kampala recently, KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi revealed that they are in the process of hiring more competent firms to help solve the garbage problem in Kampala. Under the proposed new arrangement, the new companies will be required to construct a new landfill and a build a modern garbage treatment plant.

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