Masaka hires firms to manage waste
Uncollected garbage in Kikuubo Lane, Masaka City on Wednesday. The city council has hired two private firms to
manage solid waste in the city. Photo | Malik Fahad Jjingo
What you need to know:
- According to authorities, the city generates at least 100 tonnes of garbage every week, but they can only collect 70 percent, leaving 30 percent of garbage uncollected.
Even before it became a city in July 2020, Masaka has always grappled with poor waste management.
According to authorities, the city generates at least 100 tonnes of garbage every week, but they can only collect 70 percent, leaving 30 percent of garbage uncollected.
They blamed this on the dwindling local revenue collection, adding that waste management takes up 46 percent of the total budget of the city.
It is against this background that the city has decided to hire private firms to collect garbage.
On Tuesday, the city council signed a contract with two firms; Youth in Action Masaka City (YAMAC) and Tusekimu Masaka City Association (TUMCAS) to manage solid waste.
In an interview with Daily Monitor on Wednesday, the mayor, Ms Florence Namayanja, said she is optimistic that the firms will play a key role in making Masaka a clean city.
“We have been overstretched in the management of garbage and we hope that bringing private firms on board will help us address the challenge of solid waste management in our city,” Ms Namayanja said.
She said the firms have been doing the work on a voluntary basis since 2021 and they have exhibited a high degree of competence.
“… they have gained experience and proved that they can serve the city better,” she added.
According to the contract the firms signed with Masaka City Council on Tuesday, TUMCAS will operate in Kimaanya/Kabonera Municipality and YAMAC will be in charge of Nyendo/Mukungwe Municipality.
“Those firms have been given six months as a pilot project and after this period, their performance will be assessed for reconsideration by the city council authorities to continue managing waste in the city,” the Masaka City clerk, Mr Vincent Okurut, said.
The city will, however, collect solid waste from the city streets, green spaces and markets.
The Masaka City Health Inspector, Mr Musa Maberi, said the city has set a fee of Shs100 per kilogramme of waste which will be paid by every household or commercial shop in the city.
He warned the private firms against overcharging the residents while doing their work.
“The private firms know the places where they will collect the garbage, and we don’t expect them to go beyond their mandate. The city authorities have the power to charge and prosecute those that will flout the set regulations,” Mr Mabera added.
Mr Muhammad Male, the proprietor of YAMAC, said they have all that it takes to keep the city clean.
“We are happy that we have finally been given a chance to operate officially, we have been doing this work on a voluntary basis without expecting any pay and now that we expect to earn something out of our sweat, we promise to serve the city dwellers better,” he said.
Population
According to authorities, Masaka’s population has doubled in the last decade from 79,000 to 251,000 people and this has led to an increase in garbage generated in the city.
