PIC: Police trying to restrain the Peasant Bridgade youth who were protesting KCCA’S decision to contract private companies to collect garbage.
HEALTH
By Paul Kiberu
KAMPALA – Katwe Police Station is holding two youth, Juma Kabotongo, a Kabowa One councillor and Habibu Buwembo, an activist over attempting to dump garbage at a minister’s home.
The dual were arrested in Ndeeba and Kasenyi, Kabowa central zone in Rubaga, Kampala.
Reportedly, the youth were loading garbage on wheelbarrows to dump at the home of Kampala minister Betty Kamya and the office KCCA’s executive director Jennifer Musisi.
The dual, under the brand Peasant Bridgade, claim Kamya and KCCA have failed to collect garbage in the city.
They allege that the private companies – Nabugabo Updeal Joint Venture and Home Clean – which were contracted for the job have exorbitant charges and harass residents when they fail to pay.
According to Kabotongo, people are charged between sh5,000 and sh30,000 per round of garbage collected.
Kabotongo argues that this is expensive for an ordinary Ugandan since garbage is collected on a weekly basis.
He is also bothered by the criteria that the two companies use to charge fares since charges are not detemined by the amount of garbage one has.
According to Kabotongo, KCCA deviated from a council resolution not to charge people for garbage collection.
“KCCA has deviated from what was agreed upon and instead contracted private companies to do the work,” Kabotongo says.
The councillor argues that since KCCA withdrew its garbage trucks, the area is covered with stench, posing a health risk to the dwellers.
The residents say because of the high charges for the garbage, they have resorted to dumping it drainage channels and latrines, something that poses even worse consequences.
Lydia Kwagala, the head of the Kabowa village health team called on KCCA and the Rubaga mayor to gazette a place where the people can dump garbage.
Kwagala attributes the high prevalence of diarrhoea cases in the area, especially among children to poor garbage disposal.
She says the heap of garbage in Kasenyi, Kabowa central zone has been
abandoned over 15 years, despite several complaints from the residents.
Kwagala called on KCCA and the Rubaga municipal division to take on the responsibility of collecting the garbage.
