Masaka City Authorities, Residents Clash over Lack of Public Toilets

Residents and business operators in Masaka City have clashed with the leadership over demands to operationalize public toilets in the town.  

Masaka Municipal Council previously operated at least 20 public toilets in different areas that include green spaces, taxi parks and stages, traditional streets, social-service centers among other places.  However many of these toilets are no longer in existence after they were either replaced by private buildings or closed down after the municipality failed to maintain them.

Ronald Mugera Bbaale, the Chairperson of Masaka Municipality Business Community lashed out to the city leadership for neglecting a critical aspect of public hygiene in the town despite them being prompt in collecting taxes.  He explains that the absence of public toilets has resulted in chronic poor disposable of human waste in some corners of the town, which puts the health of residents at great risk of contracting sanitation-related diseases. 

Joseph Kizza Lukyamuzi a who operates a grocery shop along Buddu street in Masaka town has accused the city leadership of being negligent in creating a safe and health working-environment for the residents from whom they collect taxes.  
He has also criticized the city technical team for failing to maintain the few remaining public toilets. He adds that the absence of sanitation facilities has left many people without alternatives but to urinate on verandahs and walls of buildings.

   //Cue in; (Luganda) “ensonga nyingi naye….  

Cue out; …..toilet eziwera.”//  

 Lukyamuzi has also blamed the city authorities for presiding over a filthy town, arguing that while they usually struggle to collect garbage and sweep the streets, their efforts are insignificant with the absence of public toilets.

Abdul Mugumya, another trader in Masaka alleged that the closure of public toilets in the town could be a selfish plot between the city authorities and landlords, to profiteer from the fees tenants pay to use private toilets in arcades and other commercial plazas. 

     //Cue in: “waliwo ku kisaawe….   

  Cue out; …..muzireke.”//   

But John Bahengana the Masaka Municipality City Town Clerk downplayed the demands; arguing that having public toilets in the area will instead cause the town a lot of unwanted characters that will contribute to many social evils.

Bahengana has instead urged people operating businesses in the different commercial blocks to resist separate charges for using toilet facilities in buildings they rent. 

  //Cue in “zino enyumba….  

Cue out: ….ebifo ebiringa ebyo.”//