MP’s COMMEND KCCA PROGRESS ON WASTE MANAGEMENT, URGE MORE FUNDING

Members of Parliament on the Presidential Affairs Committee have praised the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for progress in strengthening waste management systems, while urging increased government funding to scale up ongoing improvements.

The legislators, led by Alex Byarugaba Bakunda, chairperson of the Committee, made the remarks Tuesday after visiting the Buyala Waste Management Facility in Mpigi District and the Kiteezi Landfill that is under rehabilitation.

Bakunda said Parliament must support policies that complement KCCA’s efforts, particularly addressing plastic waste.

“We need to reignite the conversation on single-use polythene bags, commonly known as buveera, because they are one of the biggest waste challenges in the country,” he said. “If we are to have proper garbage management and a clean environment, this issue must be handled decisively.”

KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki said the authority undertook due diligence before acquiring the 230 acre piece of land for the Buyala waste management facility. 

Buzeki noted that the facility serves the wider Kampala metropolitan area and is being upgraded to improve efficiency, including the construction of a weighing bridge.

“We are constructing a weighing bridge so that we get the exact tonnage that comes in and how much is recovered,” Buzeki said.

She said more than 80% of waste generated in Kampala is organic, producing leachate that must be properly managed.

“Over 80% of our garbage is organic and produces leachate, which we need to manage well before releasing it into the environment,” she said. “We currently have four leachate ponds and are constructing a working cell to improve treatment.”

She added that KCCA has 35 garbage trucks which is small number compared to the amount generated in the city.  Buzeki also said KCCA still requires additional heavy-duty equipment.

“We need about seven heavy-duty machines, but we are currently hiring three as we work to improve operations,” she said.

At the Kiteezi Landfill that is under rehabilitation, Buzeki said progress has been made, with 16 acres already covered.

“We have come here to show how we are decommissioning and rehabilitating this site. We have covered 16 acres, out of 39 but we still have more to do, including clearing waste from land that does not belong to KCCA,” she said. “If we get the funds as anticipated, we will be able to rehabilitate this place and make it better.”

Buzeki said progress has been steady despite limited resources.

She also emphasized the role of the public in improving waste management.

“We are emphasizing to communities to sort waste at source, recycle what they can, and reduce or refuse plastics such as buveera,” Buzeki said. “This message goes beyond Kampala because we receive waste from other areas as well.”

Nakawa East MP Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo commended KCCA’s efforts but called for more investment.

“They have established systems at Buyala to make the facility functional, but more needs to be done,” he said. “This requires funding to buy equipment, fence the facility and establish a proper leachate treatment plant.”

Lawmakers urged the government to increase funding to support the rehabilitation of the Kiteezi Landfill that is under rehabilitation and accelerate its decommissioning.

They also commended development partners, including UN-Habitat and the Government of Japan, for supporting the project.

The $1 million rehabilitation project aims to stabilize high-risk sections of the landfill, which partially collapsed in August 2024, posing environmental and health risks.

Works include reshaping waste slopes, stabilizing garbage mass, installing methane ventilation systems and constructing leachate treatment ponds.

By Geofrey Mutegeki Araali

Communication and Medi Relations Officer