As Kampala continues to struggle with overflowing garbage and growing public concern over sanitation, Gen. Salim Saleh has said the city’s biggest challenge is not a shortage of garbage trucks but the government’s failure to organize land for proper waste management.
Speaking during a strategic meeting in Kapeeka, Nakaseke District, on Tuesday, Saleh and National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Managing Director Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha said the long-term solution to Kampala’s waste crisis lies in addressing complicated land ownership issues and improving coordination among government institutions.
The meeting brought together officials from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), NWSC and other stakeholders to assess progress on the Organic Dark Matter initiative, a joint programme aimed at finding sustainable ways of managing the city’s ever-increasing waste.
Kampala currently produces between 2,500 and 3,000 metric tonnes of waste every day. Yet a large portion of it remains uncollected because of inadequate waste collection services, illegal dumping and limited disposal facilities. Since most of the waste is organic, officials said processing it requires large pieces of land, something that has become increasingly difficult to secure.
According to participants, delays in acquiring land for waste treatment plants have slowed down efforts to improve sanitation in the capital. They argued that unless government agencies work together to resolve land ownership disputes and streamline planning, Kampala’s waste problem will continue to worsen.
The leaders also noted that the sanitation challenge extends beyond garbage collection. Although NWSC has expanded wastewater treatment facilities in areas such as Bugolobi, Lubigi, Nalukolongo and Kinawataka, only a small percentage of Kampala’s residents are connected to the sewer network. Most households still depend on pit latrines and septic tanks, which require regular emptying and proper disposal.
During the meeting, Gen. Saleh presented Dr. Mugisha with a copy of his newly published book, Organizing Land for National Economic Transformation: Kapeekanomics, Industrialization and Uganda’s Development Logic, co-authored with Dr. Pascal Odoch. The publication argues that Uganda’s biggest development challenge is not a lack of land but the failure to organize and utilize it effectively for economic growth.
Saleh also applauded NWSC for investing in water infrastructure within the Namunkekera Industrial Area, part of the China-Uganda Liao Shen Industrial Park in Kapeeka. The corporation recently upgraded the area’s water supply using River Mayanja, a move expected to support industrial growth and investment.
For his part, Dr. Mugisha pledged that NWSC would continue working with government agencies and development partners to strengthen waste management systems, improve sanitation services and protect public health.
The discussions come at a time when Kampala’s waste management system is facing increasing pressure, with recent challenges at the Buyala disposal site during National Cleaning Day exposing the strain on the city’s waste handling infrastructure.
Among those who attended the meeting were former State Minister for Water Ronald Kibuule, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Executive Director Dr. Barirega Akankwasah, Ambassador Phillip Idro and KCCA Director of Public Health and Environment Dr. Sarah Zalwango.
