MTN Uganda has signed a partnership with the Office of the Mayor of Masaka, Pokino of Buddu and the Catholic Church geared towards maintaining sanitation and hygiene of the city.
The partnership was launched under the theme: "Tuzze Masaka ku ntiko" translated as "Make Masaka great again".
Masaka is one of the seven municipalities in Uganda that attained city status in 2020 following the decision by parliament to approve the creation of 15 new cities across the country.
According to media reports, Masaka city generates at least 100 tonnes of garbage every week, yet only 70 per cent of it is collected. As part of her strategic priorities for Masaka city, Florence Namayanja, the mayoress of Masaka in 2021, introduced a monthly clean-up exercise to unite the city leadership, Buganda kingdom, and the Church in an effort to maintain the hygiene and sanitation of Masaka.
Speaking during the announcement of the partnership held in Masaka over the weekend, Jimmy Ssempuuma, MTN Uganda regional business manager for Masaka said MTN is honoured to join forces with the Masaka city leadership, Buganda and the Church to provide additional support to this noble cause.
"We are cognizant of the power of togetherness and collaboration in achieving a shared goal hence MTN's deliberate effort to forge this partnership with the aim of uplifting Masaka and its people to achieve the greatness the city is renowned for," Ssempuuma said.
Through this partnership, MTN will support the city with requisite provisions such as wheelbarrows, slashers, spades, brooms, gloves, garden forks to facilitate the clean-up exercise. In addition, MTN will also provide refreshments during the clean-up exercise and waste bins to create a sustained solution for littering the city.
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In her remarks, mayoress Namayanja welcomed MTN into the partnership, noting that it is a reflection of the telecom's commitment to improving the livelihood of Masaka city and its people.
"MTN's commitment to join us in cleaning up the city is noble because it is symbolic of its care, love and support for the people of Masaka. It further demonstrates that the relationship between MTN and Masaka is not only transactional, rather mutually beneficial socially and economically for the residents of this great city," she said.
Pokino Jude Muleke urged the people of Masaka to embrace cleanliness to mitigate the spread of diseases. MTN and Masaka share a long-standing relationship anchored on the former's continuous support for the city. Last year, MTN supported the Masaka Catholic Diocese with Shs 20 million to help the diocese in its preparations for the Martyr's day celebrations.
Most recently, the winner of the first Toyota Succeed car prize of the freshly launched MoMo Nyabo Waaka promotion hailed from Masaka, which according to Ssempuuma proves the unwavering support of the people of Masaka for MTN.
He then emphasized the commitment by MTN to further cement its relationship with Masaka by supporting the city leadership's endeavors geared towards improving the livelihood of the people with the goal of making Masaka great again.
