Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 862
- 487
Garbage collection in Kampala has largely been treated as a public service many residents expect but few feel responsible for sustaining. Piles of uncollected waste, clogged drainage channels, and illegal dumping have become a familiar sight across the city.
Now, city authorities are taking a firmer stance, introducing mandatory monthly garbage fees while pushing a behaviour change campaign that seeks to fundamentally redefine how residents think about waste.
At the centre of this shift is the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), which has rolled out a structured payment system for garbage collection alongside its ongoing Weyonje campaign, an initiative aimed at promoting cleanliness and personal responsibility.
Speaking during a community engagement in Kawempe Division on April 18, KCCA Executive Director Hajati Sharifah Buzeki said the new measures are not just about improving waste collection, but about correcting a long-standing culture of neglect.
“For a long time, people have assumed that government alone should handle waste, but the truth is, every individual generates waste and must take responsibility for it,” she said.
The initiative, which was launched last month in Kampala during sanitation week, will see households pay Shs3,000 per month for garbage collection, while businesses such as shops will be charged Shs5,000 per 50-kilogramme sack.
Ms Buzeki says the fees, though modest, have sparked debate among residents, with some questioning their affordability. But she insists the cost is minimal when broken down.
“That is about Shs100 a day,” she explained. “It is a small contribution to ensure that waste is collected and disposed of safely. This is about protecting public health and maintaining dignity as a city.”
She added that the fees are also meant to create accountability, encouraging residents to see waste management not as a free service, but as a shared responsibility.
Source: Daily monitor
Now, city authorities are taking a firmer stance, introducing mandatory monthly garbage fees while pushing a behaviour change campaign that seeks to fundamentally redefine how residents think about waste.
At the centre of this shift is the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), which has rolled out a structured payment system for garbage collection alongside its ongoing Weyonje campaign, an initiative aimed at promoting cleanliness and personal responsibility.
Speaking during a community engagement in Kawempe Division on April 18, KCCA Executive Director Hajati Sharifah Buzeki said the new measures are not just about improving waste collection, but about correcting a long-standing culture of neglect.
“For a long time, people have assumed that government alone should handle waste, but the truth is, every individual generates waste and must take responsibility for it,” she said.
The initiative, which was launched last month in Kampala during sanitation week, will see households pay Shs3,000 per month for garbage collection, while businesses such as shops will be charged Shs5,000 per 50-kilogramme sack.
Ms Buzeki says the fees, though modest, have sparked debate among residents, with some questioning their affordability. But she insists the cost is minimal when broken down.
“That is about Shs100 a day,” she explained. “It is a small contribution to ensure that waste is collected and disposed of safely. This is about protecting public health and maintaining dignity as a city.”
She added that the fees are also meant to create accountability, encouraging residents to see waste management not as a free service, but as a shared responsibility.
Source: Daily monitor
