Soroti City authorities privatise garbage management

Soroti City authorities have handed over the management of solid waste in the city to private companies.
Mr Emmanuel Okaja, the deputy city town clerk, at the weekend said the contract for managing the waste in the East Division has been handed to Asante garbage management services.

He said they are still sourcing for a private service provider to collect waste in the West Division.
The outsourcing of private waste management firms has been done due to past failures by the city authorities to effectively manage the disposal of garbage generated on a daily basis.

Some of the areas generating high volumes of waste in the city are Cell A, B, C and G of Central ward, Moru Apesur and Kichinjaji wards, all in East Division, and Senior Quarters, Nakatunya and Pamba wards all in West Division.

Contract terms
Mr Okaja said the private contractors will collect and dispose of waste at a cost.

He said the city now generates more than 90,000 tonnes of garbage daily and yet only 30,000 tonnes are collected and disposed of at Aminit dumping site.

He said their old equipment that frequently breaks down cannot effectively collect garbage.

Mr John Junior Ekutelek, the city youth councillor, welcomed the move, saying the authorities failed to manage the accumulated solid waste in the corridors and the outskirts of the town that could stink.

The two companies that had been chosen to collect waste in the West Division have allegedly pulled out.

Mr Moses Amolo, the city health inspector, said the two firms pulled out of the payment mode as they expected the city to pay them instead of the waste generators.