Namutumba Town introduces garbage collection fees

Authorities in Namutumba Town Council, Namutumba District, have passed an ordinance, mandating residents and business persons to pay for garbage generated at their workplaces and homes.

Since becoming operational in July 2007, the town council has grappled with poor waste management due to rapid population growth and inadequate funding, among others.

Mr Yakubu Magola, the town council health inspector, said the ordinance mandates them to seek a contractor to manage waste.

“We are still agreeing on the cost, but it will be between Shs500 and Shs1,000 per day,” Mr Magola said in an interview on Monday.

He added: “The cost is not going to be uniform. We have different categories of people and even the volume of garbage they generate are also different. Shop owners will pay a different amount from, say, market vendors.”

Mr Magola hailed the resolution as a “game changer”, saying it will discourage people from dumping garbage in any open space in town and also reduce authorities’ “burden” when it comes to managing waste.

He said the contractor will be collecting and disposing off garbage while the town council will play a supervisory role.

“The challenge we have faced for all these years is poor revenue collection. A number of people do not want to pay taxes, which has made it difficult for authorities to maintain beauty and hygiene in other parts of the town,” he added.

Mr Sudasi Mushega, the Matyama Ward councillor, said seeking a contractor is intended to actualise the “Keep Namutumba Clean” slogan, while increasing local revenue for garbage management.

“One needs to know how costly it is to generate garbage and dump it in every open space in town,” he said, adding that after generating garbage, some people collect and burn it in town instead of putting it in boxes.

Locals, however, blame authorities for not doing enough to manage waste.

Mr Alexander Waiswa, a resident of Central Ward, said the town council only collects two tonnes out of 50 tonnes of solid waste dumped in town daily. “

Sometimes garbage collectors go several months without getting their monthly pay,” he said.

Mr Muhammad Kirya, a resident of Kangulumo ‘A’ Village, said he is not willing to pay for garbage collection because it will be “double taxation”, citing payment for trading licences, and weekly dues paid by vendors in the central market.

Ms Rebecca Namukose, also a resident of Central Ward, said no amount of force will solve the challenge of waste in town.

Mr Bakali Mutuya, the chairperson of traders in Namutumba Town Council, however, appealed to the authorities to first sensitise the wider community about the new law and the importance of paying for garbage collection.

“Authorities sensitised the traders’ leadership about the new law and how the contractor will be managing the waste, but the community, which generates garbage, is being left out,” he said.

Mr Godfrey Mwembe, the town council chairperson, said the local revenue is not enough to manage waste.

“It is true the business community pays licences, but time has come for them to pay for the garbage they generate at their workplaces. The only way to manage waste is getting a contractor like Iganga Municipal Council did,” he suggested.

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