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Residents express concern as factories set up in their neighbourhoods
What you need to know:
Several studies have found that living near industrial sites is related to an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Residents whose neighbourhoods have been invaded by factories have legitimate concerns about noise, traffic and pollution from their activities.
In 2018, residents in Bulindo, Kira Municipality, protested the building of a plastics factory in the area. In a news report that was broken by Daily Monitor on February 8, 2018, the residents of Bulindo raised alarm upon seeing production machines being installed in a structure that had previously been guised as just a storage warehouse. The residents protested the development, citing fears of noise and air pollution, insisting that their area was gazzeted as a residential area and not an industrial park, and that should remain so.
For a whole year prior to that protest, the residents of Bulindo had petitioned the local municipal authorities and the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to reign in the investor to no avail. The residents, however, did not give up. They tried different avenues including engaging different media until they forced NEMA to act. But other residents in other Kampala suburbs do not seem so lucky. Factories in residential areas in a 20km radius around Kampala are common.
Interestingly, factories in residential areas are opposed by some and promoted by some. Those for it argue that building factories in residential areas can lead to economic growth and job creation, since the huge numbers of laborers create demand for everything, from food to rental homes and everything in between. From this perspective, it is easy to see why some politicians may support this idea. But the problems associated with factories in residential areas far outweigh the advantages.
Hones behind industrials silos belonging to Luuka Plastics factories.
Luuka Plastics, Ttula, Kawempe
The homes along a certain section on Ttula Road in Kawempe, Wakiso District all have the same dark substance on the roofs. To a passerby, these are just normal consequences of years of exposure to the elements. But to the residents, this could not be further from the truth.
They attribute the concerning dark substance to Luuka Plastics factory situated in the centre of this residential area. The factory emits black fumes that later condense and rain back down on people’s residences, causing the dark coloration on the roofs. Homes as new as two years old can be seen with roofs that look 30 years old.
This, according to residents, is a visible sign of a possible bigger problem. The same air that carries the fumes that have darkened their roofs is the same air that they breathe. While they are not sure how this is affecting their health, they are worried and resigned about it at the same time.
“Why should a factory be allowed to operate in a place where we are raising our children?” One resident wondered.
An avenue to the main entrance of Luuka plastics in Ttula, Kawempe. Parents say they worry about the heavy delivery trucks that pass here daily. PHOTO/Tony Mushoborozi
“As long as the government is getting the taxes, they let the factory operate from where it is not supposed to. We the common people cannot do anything about it because we do not have the mandate to,” another resident says in resignation.
But health hazards are not the only problem the residents are worried about. One mother who lives near one of the entrances into the factory is also worried about road accidents.
“This road is our biggest problem. The big trucks and trailers that keep passing through our homes are a big risk because we have small children,” she said.
The residents of Ttula say they have complained to the local councils and to NEMA about the noise and the air pollution for the years. However, officials at NEMA, when contacted, claimed they have not received any complaints from Ttula residents.
“A few years ago, after our complaints, they owners of the factory told us that they had bought land in Namanve Industrial Park. They told us they would move the factory there and only use this place as a store. But there is no sign of them moving,” a mother who lives by the high perimeter wall of the factory says.
Mpelerwe
Two kilometres away from Luuka Plastics, stands Harris International, formally known as Riham. The mega factory sits on a large expanse of land, probably 20 acres in size. It sits in the middles of a residential area, with homes on all sides of the factory.
The road is newly paved, the environment is clean and there is no sound or smoke emanating from the factory. The residents confirm this. There are street lights everywhere, which may mean that the security of the area has been enhanced. Does all this make it okay? Not according to some residents.
Justine Kiwanuka is women’s representative on the LC1. We found her working in her small farm near the factory. She says she has not yet experienced any problem with fumes or noise pollution but she knows it is a health hazard to live so close to a factory. She says it may all be good one year into the life of the factory, but maybe it will not be for long. Kiwanuka says she would move to another place, far away from this factory if she had the means.
Nakuwadde, Sentema Road
This is one of the newer suburbs in the western outskirts of Kampala. For some reason, it has become popular with manufacturing investors.
There is a mannequin factory, a polythene bags factory and several maize mills in a radius of about two kilometers. All these factories are in a residential area. One resident says during power outages, the standby generators can be an absolute menace as they cause noise pollution.
“One can barely sleep during those times,” he says.
Some homes in the vicinity of a factory in Kawempe.
NEMA condemns
According to NEMA, factories should not be built in residential areas because homes are meant to be places where people go to relax, rest and raise families. On the contrary, factories are by their nature prone to cause air, water and noise pollution. Bringing a factory to the community therefore comes with health risks to the community, according to Naomi Karekaho, NEMA’s Corporate Commination’s Manager.
“If you see a factory in a residential area, then it is likely a consequence of poor urban planning,” Karekaho says.
Victor Nahabwe, NEMA’s Senior Manager Environmental Enforcement and Field Operations says residential areas and industrial areas should not mix.
“As an institution mandated to monitor and coordinate environmental safety, we cannot divert from our mission of making sure the people of Uganda live in a clean, productive environment. Allowing factories to operate from residential areas would be counterintuitive,” he says.
Asked why massive factories are allowed to set up shop in a residential area, Nahabwe says that usually, if other lead agencies such as Uganda Investment Authority and local government approve, it is hard for NEMA to not follow suit.
“The factories are regulated by NEMA, they are very compliant. They undertake annual audits to make sure they do not move away from good environmental practices. But if the residents complain, that will be different,” he says.
Nahabwe also, adds that the only Luuka Plastics factory he knows is in Namanve. He says he is not aware of the one in Kawempe.
A view of Harris International (Riham) factory in Mpelerwe from one of the homes that soround the factory on all side. PHOTOs/Tony Mushoborozi.
Control
So what happens to offending manufacturers? According to Nahabwe, the reason there are so many factories operating illegally in residential areas is because the body is overwhelmed.
“The government has embarked on an industrial revolution. We have hundreds of new factories in the country. Most of these have come up almost at the same time. All these are supposed to be regulated by us. We are overwhelmed. We respond to complaints as they come,” he says.
“We receive alerts on email and phone calls. We then inspect the offending factory to ascertain the truth of the complaints. We audit them. If NEMA issued the factory with certificate of environment and social impact assessment, then we try to see if they are complying. If they are not, then we issue environment improvement notice. We meet and sign a compliance agreement so that they change. If they don’t comply, we issue a stop notice. If they refuse we taken them to court, or fine them,” Nahabwe says.
Impact on property market
First and foremost, the environmental impact of the activities undertaken by such factories should be thoroughly assessed. Industrial activities often release pollutants into the air, soil and water, which can harm the ecosystem in the long run. Industrial activities also have a detrimental impact on the residents’ health.
Relevant authorities must implement strict regulations and set up robust monitoring systems to control emissions and mitigate pollution caused by industrial units.
In the meantime the industries should be encouraged to invest in cleaner technologies and adopt sustainable practices to minimise their environmental footprint. Even with these interventions in place, the presence of factories can significantly reduce property values in residential areas.
“Some buyers will not be enthusiastic about buying a property if they notice a maize mill nearby. It decreases the demand for properties in the area. And while some families may want to move to more peaceful areas, they may not have the financial resources to do so,” one property owner in Mpelerwe said.
Residential
A residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residential homes. Zoning for residential use may permit some services or work opportunities or may totally exclude business and industry. It may permit high density land use or only permit low density uses. Residential zoning usually includes a smaller FAR (Floor Area Ratio) than business, commercial or industrial/manufacturing zoning. Residential areas are zoned for living and any industrial activities are not expected to operate in these areas so as to avoid nuisance.
