One Week After National Cleaning Day, Garbage Still Piles Up in Kampala Suburbs

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1237 EAT on Monday 3 August 2026

Several Kampala suburbs remain littered with uncollected garbage a week after the inaugural National Cleaning Day, raising fresh concerns over public health and waste management.

Residents say heaps of waste continue to pile up along roadsides and near homes and business premises, where they are decomposing and emitting foul odours. The accumulating garbage has also attracted flies, rodents and other disease-carrying pests, heightening fears of potential disease outbreaks.

A survey by Uganda Radio Network (URN) found large heaps of uncollected garbage in Bwaise, Munaku, Nabulagala in Lubaga Division, Tula Road in Kawempe, Kyadondo Medical Centre Junction and Kibuli, despite the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) saying it had cleared most of the waste generated during last Saturday’s nationwide cleanup.

One of the hardest-hit areas is Mukalazi Road in Bwaise, where garbage collected during the exercise remains piled along the roadside, including near restaurants, food kiosks and residential homes.

Residents say the waste has begun decomposing, emitting a strong stench and attracting flies, maggots and other disease-carrying pests, raising fears of possible disease outbreaks if it is not removed promptly.

Hajjat Sharifah Nabitalo, a resident of Bugalani Zone in Bwaise, said the delay in collecting the garbage has made life difficult for residents and business owners living and operating near the waste heaps.

She urged the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to remove the garbage before it becomes a major public health hazard.

Dennis Seguya, a resident of Nakamiro Zone, said residents followed KCCA’s directive during the cleanup exercise by placing garbage along the roadside for collection, but nearly a week later, much of it remains uncollected.

He said the prolonged delay has forced some residents to burn the waste, creating another environmental concern through air pollution.

Milly Nasejje also appealed to KCCA to expedite the collection of the remaining garbage, warning that continued exposure to the decomposing waste could increase the risk of disease outbreaks in the community.

Joseph Miti Kabazzi, a resident of Mugoowa Zone, said the uncollected garbage is hurting businesses, as several waste heaps are located directly outside restaurants and shops.

He said the decomposing waste has produced maggots and a pungent stench, discouraging customers and affecting daily business operations.

KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki acknowledged that the city generated an unusually large volume of waste during the inaugural National Cleaning Day, with Makindye Division recording the highest amount.

She said the authority had already cleared most of the garbage across the city but admitted that waste collection was still ongoing in some areas.

According to Buzeki, KCCA has deployed more than 15 trucks to Makindye Division to remove the remaining waste, while collection teams continue clearing garbage from other affected communities across the city.

Meanwhile, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) says future National Cleaning Day exercises will be managed differently to improve waste collection and prevent garbage from accumulating along roadsides.

KCCA Director of Public Health, Dr Sarah Zalwango, said residents will be required to take their waste directly to designated collection trucks instead of leaving it along roadsides after community clean-up activities.

She added that residents will also be expected to demonstrate that they are subscribed to regular waste collection services, stressing that National Cleaning Day should not be used as an opportunity to dispose of garbage that has accumulated over several months.

Zalwango further encouraged households to separate waste at the source to facilitate recycling and improve the efficiency of waste collection.

Although KCCA says it has cleared the bulk of the waste generated during the citywide exercise, residents in several suburbs are calling on the authority to complete the cleanup without delay, warning that the remaining garbage could pose a serious public health risk if left uncollected.

-Observer

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