Residents Query Companies Contracted to Manage Waste in Mukono Municipality

Residents of Mukono municipality are querying the capacity of three companies contracted to manage waste in Mukono Central and Goma Divisions. On Tuesday this week, the municipality confirmed the contracts of De Waste and Bin IT Ug limited to collect waste and Namakya Enterprises limited to manage its landfill at Katikoro.     

However, residents claim that none of the contracted companies is based in Mukono or has an office where they can report their complaints. George William Ssemakula, a resident of Nabuti in Mukono Central Division, says that without a base in the municipality, garbage collection in the municipality will remain a myth.

“It is not going to take long for such companies to start levying exorbitant charges on residents before collecting garbage from their homes. We have individuals with trucks within that would this job better but they instead chose to take companies rejected in Kampala for many years now,” Ssemakula explained.  

Umar Ssebuyungo, another resident and the Operations Officer for Uganda People’s Défense Forces Reserve Force-UPDRF in Mukono district, says that garbage collection requires monitoring of illegal dumping sites and supervision of garbage truck drivers, which end up dumping waste in trenches and wetlands.

He, however, says this is unlikely since the new firms lack offices in the district. Menisa Namukose, the Mukono Municipality Deputy Town Clerk, says that many companies participated in the bidding process but they three emerged best. She says that they shall support the contractors with reasonable funding and guide them to solicit negotiable fees from residents.

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Rashid Magezi, the Public Relations for De Waste has called for calm from the residents, saying they have the capacity and are ready for the task.

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Paul Lugalambi, the Chief Executive Officer Bin IT Limited, says that the few challenges they have had in Kampala cannot stop them from carrying on with the work.

 

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Statistics from the Mukono Municipal Environment Officer indicate that over 270 tons of garbage are generated daily within Goma and Mukono central division. However, only 69 tons are collected.