The National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, has criticized government for its inaction regarding the growing garbage crisis in Kampala.
In a statement, Rubongoya suggested that the authorities would only take swift action if the garbage were to turn into protesters, underscoring what he believes are the regime's skewed priorities.
"If all the garbage in Kampala were to turn into protesters, it would be cleared within minutes, and Kampala would be spotless by tomorrow morning," Rubongoya remarked.
He elaborated on this hypothetical scenario, imagining a massive security response that would include the deployment of fully armored vehicles, water cannons, and even fighter jets.
Rubongoya further accused the government of prioritizing the suppression of dissent over addressing crucial public health and sanitation issues. He implied that if the garbage crisis were seen as a threat to the regime's power, it would receive the same urgency and force typically reserved for anti-government protests.
"The Executive would display its full might and force, and the judiciary would swiftly act on any part of the garbage that fails to comply with the GCB (Garbage Control Bill)," he added, in a thinly veiled critique of the government's focus on maintaining control rather than improving the lives of Ugandans.
Last week, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) outlined strict conditions for a new dumping site to replace the collapsed Kiteezi landfill.
KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka stated that the new site must meet specific criteria, including a minimum of 100 acres, a location away from main roads, and a distance of at least 30 kilometers from Kampala.
"The new site should not be near residential areas and must have a half-kilometer buffer zone to protect residents. We aim to prepare sufficiently so that we can use the site in the short term while planning for long-term solutions, such as converting waste into energy," Kisaka said during a sensitization meeting for Smart City Ambassadors at Kitante Primary School.
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Ms. Kisaka emphasized the urgency of finding a new dumping site, as the current temporary sites are both costly and distant.
"We need to consider the entire journey from where waste is generated--the household, the business place, the marketplace, the health center, and the school. Sorting waste into biodegradable materials, plastics and polythene bags, and glass and metals will help us manage waste more effectively and reduce the burden on our dumping sites," she added.
Ms. Kisaka also commended the Smart City Ambassadors for their efforts in mobilizing and educating city residents about proper waste management.
Currently, KCCA is dumping garbage in Katikolo, Mukono District, and is urgently searching for an alternative site to replace the Kiteezi site, which was closed after collapsing earlier this month, killing over 30 people and displacing thousands of residents.
