Korea injects Shs8b in Kampala’s waste management
Pathetic. Heaps of garbage at Nkumba dumping site in Bukolwa Village, Nkumba Parish in Entebbe municipality. There are growing concerns that Wakiso District lacks proper waste management and disposal system, which has forced residents and manufacturers to dump waste in open places and drainage channels. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- During the official launch of the project in Kampala yesterday, the Ambassador of Korea, Mr Park Sung-Soo, said Kampala Metropolitan area generates huge quantities of waste material.
The Republic of Korea and other partners will run a two-year waste management project in the Great Kampala Metropolitan area worth $2.25m (Shs8.7b) to reduce greenhouse gas emission and improve sanitation.
During the official launch of the project in Kampala yesterday, the Ambassador of Korea, Mr Park Sung-Soo, said Kampala Metropolitan area generates huge quantities of waste material.
“We are starting with the Kampala Metropolitan area because of the uncontrolled disposal of wastes, which have resulted in pollution. The waste also blocks waterways causing floods,” Mr Sung-Soo said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment, Mr Alfred Okot, applauded the Republic of Korea and other partners for choosing Uganda among the project beneficiaries.
He said the government would ensure the project succeeds.
“I extend special thanks to all stakeholders in this project, waste management in urban centres, especially in the Kampala Metropolitan area, requires collective effort,” Mr Okot said.
Target
In an interview with the country representative for Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), one of the partners in the project, Ms Dagmar Zwebe, said the projects will focus on developing a solid waste and feacal sludge management strategy, constructing feacal sludge treatment plants and developing waste collection centres in various municipalities.
Ms Zwebe added that the project is a step towards achieving Uganda’s Vision 2040 of Sustainable green growth as well as National Development Plan III (NDP). She rallied Ugandans to welcome the initiative saying it is going to improve access to waste and sanitation.
“This first phase of the project has been launched for the Kampala Metropolitan area. We shall extend the projects to other places in the next phase,” Ms Zwebe said.
Last year, this newspaper reported that Kampala Metropolitan was grappling with waste management, with heaps of garbage decomposing on roadsides.
The garbage collecting companies such as Nabugabo Updeal and Homeklin seemed to be overwhelmed by huge quantities of waste in the city.
