Hoima City residents to pay for garbage collection

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents in Hoima City will soon have to pay for garbage collected from their homes, as city authorities move to implement a robust waste management strategy under a new “Polluter Pays” system. The city is currently in the process of identifying a private contractor to manage household garbage collection.

For years, Hoima City has struggled with waste management at the household level due to financial constraints. The local government has been unable to raise sufficient revenue to sustain garbage collection, including procuring fuel and maintaining trucks. As a result, garbage is a common sight on the streets. Under the new system, residents and business operators such as hoteliers will be required to pay a fee of 500 shillings to the designated private company for every small bag of garbage transported to the dumping site.

Hoima City Deputy Mayor Sylvia Nalumaga says the arrangement will enhance the city’s capacity to manage solid waste more effectively. Nalumaga attributes the growing garbage volumes to a rising population engaged in various businesses in the city. She adds that city authorities will conduct awareness campaigns to sensitise residents on household waste management.

Hoima West City Division Male Councillor, Joshua Byenkya, has welcomed the initiative, saying it will promote better hygiene and sanitation in the city. He has urged residents to support the program and take responsibility for managing their waste.

Meanwhile, Hoima City East Division Male Councillor Iddi Magezi noted that uncollected garbage has led some residents to burn waste, causing environmental pollution. He called on city technocrats to ensure efficient revenue collection to support service delivery.

Catherine Kyalisiima, a resident of Kiryatete in Hoima West Division, expressed support for the initiative but urged authorities to conduct intensive sensitisation campaigns to explain the importance of the new system. However, not all residents are pleased.

Moses Bigirwa, a resident of Bujumbura Cell in Hoima East Division, questioned why the city is introducing charges yet it already collects revenue from residents and the business community for services, including garbage collection. Hoima East Division, which encompasses the central business district, is the largest generator of solid waste in the city.

Major waste contributors include the abattoir, central market, restaurants, hotels, schools, factories, and processing units in the Kiryatete Industrial Area. According to 2016 data from city authorities, Hoima generates between 150 and 200 tons of solid waste daily. Of this, 34.6% is food waste, 26.8% plastic, 23.9% paper and cardboard, and 7.8% textiles.

Efforts to revamp the city’s Shs 2.5 billion garbage recycling plant have stalled due to lack of funds. The facility, built in 2012 with support from the World Bank and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), was gutted by fire in 2018 and has since remained inoperative.

The plant, which sits on three acres and has a daily processing capacity of 70 tons, currently lacks electricity and running water—key utilities for its operation. It was also intended to support agriculture through the production of compost manure for farmers.

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