By Ben Musanje
Uganda’s Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, has arrived in Rome, Italy, to represent the country at the Italy–Uganda Business Summit, aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and promoting investment opportunities between the two countries.
The Prime Minister was received at Fiumicino Airport by Uganda’s Ambassador to Italy, Her Excellency Elizabeth Paula Napeyok, ahead of her scheduled engagements during the official visit.
Before attending the business summit, Nabbanja held a meeting with Dr. G. Paolo Mistruzzi Freisinger, Vice President and Director of the Robert Schuman Foundation Trust, who expressed interest in supporting Uganda’s efforts to address its growing waste management challenges.
Dr. Freisinger is proposing a grant of €375 million, equivalent to approximately 101 billion Uganda shillings, to support the establishment of waste management infrastructure in the country.
The proposed funding is intended to facilitate the development of a waste processing plant that would help improve garbage collection, treatment and disposal while exploring opportunities to convert waste into useful resources.
Under the proposed arrangement, the waste management plant would eventually be handed over to the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial arm of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), to manage waste processing operations.
The initiative comes at a time when urban centres, particularly Kampala, continue to grapple with increasing volumes of solid waste and the challenges associated with its collection, transportation and disposal.
Available statistics indicate that Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) generates approximately 3,000 metric tonnes of garbage daily, placing significant pressure on the city’s waste management systems and infrastructure.
Dr. Freisinger reportedly indicated that the proposed grant would be provided without expecting financial returns, presenting the initiative as support towards addressing Uganda’s environmental and public health concerns.
In addition to the proposed waste processing plant, the Robert Schuman Foundation Trust plans to provide mobile garbage processing equipment to selected key institutions. The equipment is expected to support waste treatment and create opportunities for converting processed waste into electricity.
If implemented, the initiative could contribute to cleaner urban environments, improved waste management practices and the development of waste-to-energy solutions. It could also help reduce the amount of garbage ending up in landfills and other disposal sites while supporting more sustainable approaches to urban development.
However, the proposed grant and project arrangements will require the relevant government authorities to establish the necessary implementation framework, including technical assessments, operational responsibilities and safeguards to ensure effective management of the investment.
Uganda has previously attracted interest from several companies seeking opportunities to process garbage generated in Kampala and other urban areas. Some of these proposals have, however, required substantial financial contributions from the government, creating challenges in mobilising the resources needed to implement them.
The proposed support from the Robert Schuman Foundation Trust could therefore present an opportunity to explore an alternative financing arrangement for waste management, subject to the necessary verification, approvals and implementation agreements.
The Prime Minister’s participation in the Italy–Uganda Business Summit is also expected to provide a platform for engaging investors, strengthening bilateral relations and promoting investment opportunities across key sectors of Uganda’s economy.
The proposed waste management initiative is among the engagements that could help advance discussions on practical solutions to Uganda’s environmental challenges while encouraging international cooperation in sustainable development.
