The poor garbage disposal in Kampala has been attributed to the loopholes in city wastes law. Waste disposal is provided for under the Kampala City Council Solid Waste Management Ordinance (2000).
The Ordinance states that; "every owner or occupant of dwelling or commercial premises is responsible for waste generated at those premises until it is collected by the Council, its appointed agents or operators licensed by the council."
Dr. John Lule, the Principal Health Inspector for Kampala City Council, says that some sections of the Ordinance need to be reviewed, because not all city residents can afford to pay garbage collection fees.
Lule says that this is the reason slums have been neglected in solid waste collection. The private companies contracted to clean the city prefer to operate in more organized areas like the central business district and planned residential areas.
They avoid the slums because there are no access roads in some areas and most residents are too poor to pay the garbage collection fees.
Nabugabo Updeal Joint Venture was the first private company to be contracted to pick and dispose off solid waste, and it operates in the Central Division.
Abu Sonko, the Director Nabugabo Updeal Joint Venture, says that in 2004 when he was contracted, his company shared costs to collect garbage in Kisenyi and Kamwokya slums.
Sonko says that most slum dwellers couldn't pay the 50UShs per day, but also KCC sustained the topping up for only three years.
He adds that Kampala's problem isn't huge volumes of waste, but lack of proper disposal systems.
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Lule argues that KCC's trucks and skips are worn out and have never been replaced.
Nabugabo Updeal collects about 180 tones of solid waste from Kampala Central per day.
The total amount of solid waste generated in the whole city is about 800 tones. This garbage is about 70 percent organic matter.
Other private firms contracted include Bins Uganda Limited, Bin-It Services, Globe Clean Services, and Great Wastes.
Lule says that the firms are given total control of the service, and they therefore pick and dump all kinds of waste together, without sorting or separation.
But the Ordinance also states that KCC or it agents will ensure proper collection and disposal of garbage. Lule admits that the council has failed to supervise the private contractors to ensure this.
