KCCA cleans city ahead of Museveni's 79th birthday fete

The Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Ms Minsa Kabanda, and the authority’s executive director, Ms Dorothy Kisaka, on Saturday last week joined thousands of employees to clean up the city ahead of President Museveni’s 79th birthday celebrations.

The clean-up drive was launched by Ms Kabanda at the Constitutional Square.

Clad in trousers and t-shirts and carrying brooms, Ms Kabanda and Ms Kisaka swept different streets amid tight security from the KCCA law enforcement officers and police.

Some of the swept areas included Burton and Luwum streets, Nakasero Market and Old Tax Park.

Addressing participants, Ms Kisaka said the drive was aimed at ensuring that the President celebrates his birthday in a clean environment and at the same time sensitise masses on proper waste management.

A group of youth led by the National Coordinator in the Office of the NRM National Chairman, Ms Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, have organised for President Museveni a birthday party at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds this Friday.

Although the President was born on September 15, 1944, the group has decided to celebrate the day on September 8, a week before.

Ms Kisaka said KCCA frontline staff would also clean up Kololo Ceremonial Grounds before and after Mr Museveni’s birthday celebrations.

She commended the cleaners for being team players, a spirit she said is critical for improving waste management in the city.

According to her, Kampala generates about 2,500 tonnes of waste per day composed of 80 percent organic, 6 percent plastics and 14 percent other types of waste, including glass, paper and textiles.

“Good solid waste management, sanitation and proper drainage in the city are high on our priority list in making Kampala a truly smart city. The solid waste is collected from households, institutions, public places and along the streets by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and delivered to Kiteezi landfill,” she said.

The KCCA executive director, however, said since the frontline staff are not enough to ensure that every corner of the city is clean, city dwellers should ensure that domestic waste is placed at designated areas to ease the process of collection.

In some slum areas of Kampala, residents dump waste into drainage channels, which sometimes blocks running waterways and result in floods.

Speaking at the same event, Ms Kabanda said cleanliness should start right from homes.

“Cleanliness starts at home. If we clean our homes and places of work and dispose of waste responsibly, then our city will remain clean,” she said.