Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has stepped up efforts to improve waste management by encouraging residents to take a more active role in keeping their neighborhoods clean. On Saturday, the Authority led a Weyonje Community cleanup along Ssentema–Masanafu Road in Rubaga Division, marking another push toward community-driven sanitation with lasting results.
The exercise covered a wide range of activities, including desilting drainage channels, sweeping roads, collecting garbage, emptying toilets, conducting public health inspections and educating residents on proper sanitation practices. KCCA staff worked alongside local leaders, traders, households and private sector partners, turning the cleanup into a shared responsibility rather than a top-down operation.
Speaking in Lugala during the activity, KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki said the Authority has shifted its approach to focus more on community ownership. She explained that while KCCA previously carried out cleanups on behalf of residents, the new strategy is built on direct involvement of the people who generate the waste.
Buzeki emphasized that KCCA cannot clean every corner of the city every day, making it essential for households and businesses to play their part. She noted that effective waste management must start at the source, with residents handling their waste responsibly as KCCA supports transportation and final disposal.
Central to this new approach is the promotion of a “bring-to-the-truck” culture, where residents take their garbage to designated collection trucks instead of dumping it illegally. KCCA is also intensifying sensitization on proper waste segregation, encouraging separation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to improve efficiency and environmental safety.
The Executive Director further warned against illegal dumping, saying it undermines public health and spoils neighborhoods. She called on waste collection concessionaires to improve service delivery and strictly follow their collection schedules, especially in areas that frequently struggle with poor waste disposal.
Community members, traders and households actively participated in the cleanup, a sign that public engagement and awareness can drive change. KCCA said this mix of education, participation and enforcement is key to improving sanitation standards across the city.
According to the Authority, the Weyonje Community cleanup is part of a broader effort to move away from one-off cleaning exercises toward a sustained, people-led movement. By empowering communities and promoting responsible waste habits, KCCA aims to keep Kampala cleaner, healthier and more livable for everyone.
