Residents of Rock Village in the suburbs of Jinja Municipality have welcomed the closure of two leather industries for polluting the enviroment. Leather Tanning Industry of Uganda and Sky Fat Industries were closed on Tuesday by Jinja Municipality officials led by Mayor Muhammad Baswale Kezaala and assistant town clerk Jofram Waidhuba. They ordered the management of both factories to close over their alleged failure to treat waste water from the plants that has led to air pollution putting the lives of residents at risk of infection.
Kezaala explained to the factory management that they had repeatedly them warned to address complaints from residents in vain. He says the heavy stench from the untreated waste water from the plants has denied the resident a right to a clean environment. Kezaala says that they have given the management of both plants two weeks rectify the situation before they can be allowed to reopen.
Residents of Jinja Municipality have welcomed the news of the closure of both factories. Isaac Kyobe, a vendor at Jinja central market and resident along Lubas road has applauded the decision by council to close the leather factories. He however, asks the council to investigate the other source of the stench in Jinja. Zaina Nakawala, a food vendor in Rock Village says that they worried of an epidemic outbreak with the onset of the rain season.
She however, advises the municipality not to rush into reopening the factories until their concerns are addressed fully. Nitin Survarna, the manager Leather Tanning Industry of Uganda has promised to fix the problem within two weeks. He admits that his factory has occasionally been disposing of untreated water into the environment because of the breakdown in their systems.
More than 200 workers of both factories have threatened to protest against their managers if the plants do not open within two weeks. Robert Kabanda, a worker with Sky Fat factory has vowed to mobilize his colleagues to demonstrate if the industry does not comply within the set period and resume operations
