Consider involving UPDF in waste management
UPDF soldiers participate in a communal cleaning as part of activities to mark the annual Tarehe Sita Day on February 6, 2023. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- Using the armed forces to manage garbage in a capital city can be effective in crisis situations, but it is not sustainable or advisable as a long-term solution.
As a country we seem to have attached focused attention and or importance to rubbish management after the Kiteezi landfill collapse that claimed more than 30 lives of Ugandans who lived around the dump area.
This occurrence was always a delayed disaster that needed to be treated through concerted and resilient efforts while ensuring there is no re-occurrence or duplication anywhere in Uganda.
The decision to abandon rubbish dumping at Kiteezi should have happened earlier if the system had proactive and always on the watch health and safety awareness teams within KCCA and peripheral district of Wakiso.
Now that this did not happen and got us where we are, why not involve the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) who have proven to be competent in handling and completing government projects like the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole and starting on rebuilding Karuma Bridge.
Using the UPDF to handle waste management in Kampala can be seen as a temporary, crisis-driven measure rather than a long-term solution that comes with:
Rapid response: Armed forces are highly organised, disciplined, and equipped for large-scale operations, making them capable of responding quickly to urgent waste crises.
Efficiency: With logistical expertise and access to specialised vehicles and machinery, the military can manage waste collection and disposal efficiently, especially if civilian waste management systems have failed.
Crisis situations: In cases of emergencies, such as natural disasters, strikes, or severe mismanagement, deploying the armed forces can prevent public health crises that arise from uncollected garbage.
Using the armed forces to manage garbage in a capital city can be effective in crisis situations, but it is not sustainable or advisable as a long-term solution.
It highlights the need for strong, well-funded, and well-managed civilian waste management institutions.
To solve the problem long-term, cities need to invest in infrastructure, develop better waste management policies, and ensure public-private partnerships or local agencies are equipped to handle such tasks.
Norbert Kazibwe, [email protected]
