ONC, KCCA Leaders Launch A Mega Clean Up Drive Ahead Of Kololo Celebrations 

A mega-city clean-up campaign was started in Constitutional Square by the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, together with Dorothy Kisaka, the KCCA Executive Director, and the chief Muzukulu Hajjat Hadija Namyalo from ONC

The KCCA frontline employees began the drive launch on Thursday, September 2, 2023, by cleaning various areas of the city in the early morning. The initiative aims to educate residents about effective waste management, lowering urban trash, and living wisely, all of which contribute to the agenda for smart cities.

The Minister, who was the launch’s chief guest, began by expressing gratitude to the KCCA ED, municipal mayors, and all other political figures for their cooperation in creating a smart city. She praised the frontline staff for their persistent efforts in maintaining Kampala’s cleanliness.

“Keeping our homes, workplaces, and city clean requires cooperation from all of us; cleanliness begins at home. Our city will continue to be clean if we clean our houses and places of employment and properly dispose of rubbish, according to Kabanda.

Kampala’s garbage management has improved as a result of effective mobilization, which the KCCA ED congratulated the frontline employees for. To create a smart city, she urged all the teams to collaborate as Team KCCA.

Making Kampala a really smart city is a top priority for us, according to Kisaka. “Good solid waste management, sanitation, and proper drainage in the city are high on our list,” he said.

At a time when the city is preparing for the Katonga Spirits event, which will take place on September 8, 2023, at Kololo Independence Grounds, the advertising has been helpful.

Along with the group, the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), represented by their head of mobilization, participated in the cleanup and campaign launch.

The KCCA ED promised that in order to ensure flawless preparations for the Head of State, who will be celebrating his 79th birthday on the same day as the event, the KCCA frontline workers would ensure that Kololo Independence Grounds were cleaned both before and after the event.

Every day, Kampala City produces roughly 2500 metric tons of waste, which is made up of 14% different waste categories like glass, paper, and textiles, 80% organics, and 6% plastics.

The KCCA collects this solid trash from homes, businesses, public spaces, and roadways and transports it to the Kiteezi dump.

Dr. Kisaka stated that this program to involve all Kampala residents is being launched as part of the KCCA’s endeavor to actualize the Smart City Agenda.

“Our frontline staff are not enough to ensure that every corner of our city is clean, which is why we have to support them by ensuring that our homesteads are kept clean and all waste is sorted and put in designated places where our waste collection teams can pick it up,” Kisaka added.

As always, the KCCA is responsible for collecting this material from all of those locations, but Kisaka emphasized that it is also the individuals’ responsibility to dispose of their waste properly.

With the addition of 10 new garbage compactor trucks in March, the KCCA’s fleet of trucks increased from 12 to 22 and improved its already-existing capabilities for the collection, transportation, and safe disposal of solid waste and fecal sludge as well as drainage maintenance. Now, each division should have a minimum of four compactor vehicles, one skip loader truck, and one tipping truck.

Private sector consignees for garbage collection in the various divisions, including Nabugabo Updeal Joint Venture, Bin It, and Home Clean for the Central Division, complement the authority’s waste management efforts. The collection rate for solid garbage increased from 35% in 2016 to 59% in 2023 because to the joint efforts of the KCCA and the private sector.

The mega clean-up drive’s call to action for city residents is to stop littering, make sure that every business, residence, and household has a trash can, store your waste until KCCA or a representative picks it up for safe disposal, promote the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), encourage good hygiene and handwashing habits, and guarantee that everyone has access to a bathroom.