Garbage management in Gulu City has become a challenge generally because of the regular breakdown of the only garbage trucks and the high costs to repair and maintain them.
The newly elected Gulu City Division Mayors have
prioritized proper garbage management in their five-year term in
office.
Garbage management in Gulu City has become a challenge generally because of the
regular breakdown of garbage trucks and the high costs to repair and
maintain.
Officials at Gulu City have several times come under the
spotlight for poor garbage management, which is compromising public health. The
city has one garbage truck, tractor and wheel loader, which are shared by
Laroo- Pece, Bardege-Layibi Divisions.
This
has affected garbage collection and disposal leading to piles of uncollected waste
in the two city divisions of Laroo-Pece and Bardege-Layibi. The trucks
have become too old and costly to repair.
Patrick Lumumba Oola, the newly elected Mayor of Bardege –Layibi
Division says that he will ensure that garbage is properly managed since the
Division Mayor will be in full control. He also said that there could be plans to purchase new garbage trucks for each of to
bring an end to the poor garbage management.
According to Oola, while he was still the Bardege Division
Chairman his office had a lot of challenges in managing garbage because they
had to request for skip loaders from Gulu Municipal Council which would
sometimes not be given in time, or not given at all.
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Bardege –Layibi Division.” //
According to a statistics, Gulu City generates an average of 120
tons of garbage daily but can collect only a quarter of the garbage
generated.
Geoffrey Otim, who was elected the Mayor Laroo –Pece Division says that his office will immediately sort out the garbage
management crisis at the Gulu Main Market which has been in existence for years
alongside others challenges like power outages in the market.
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Last year, the Gulu Mayor and Town Clerk were accused of laxity, conflict of
interest and interference with the work of the divisions in managing garbage.
They were accused of not responding timely to the repair garbage trucks
whenever they breakdown.
Currently,
the City authorities often hire private garbage trucks as an emergency action
plan to collect garbage in town.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
