How Mutebi is minting cash, transforming communities from garbage

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Most Ugandans have a negative perception of rubbish. The thought of it evokes disgust but this does not apply to Ronald Mutebi.

Just like his royal namesake, Ronald Mutebi, he is transforming communities, urban homes and schools into climate-conscious champions.

By utilising his eco-friendly enterprise Summit Green Company Ltd, he has become a beacon of hope that is resuscitating slum-dwelling ex-criminals in Namuwongo, a Kampala city suburb, into income-generating citizens.

Staff of Summit Green Company operating a briquettes machine at Kito – Matugga Wakiso district. (Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu)

In Yoka Zone Namuwongo, youths have started generating income of up to shillings three million per day with an input of shillings 30,000 in daily power cost.

His youth-led initative, which began in 2015, has earned recognition from Uganda's banking sector, which has since injected shillings five million in machinery to boost his output, in a briquette factory that now employs over 30 youths and promotes green enterprises.

"We repurpose plastic waste, as well as metal and paper waste into unique ornaments, gardens and crafts," Mutebi told New Vision Online. "Summit Green engages schools and communities, training them to embrace sustainability, promote environmental awareness and enhance local aesthetics."

Mutebi made these remarks on December 23, 2024, at St Kizito High School in Namugongo, Kampala during a media inspection tour of Summit Green's beneficiaries.

According to Mutebi, their Matugga-based factory has a daily output of up to three tonnes of briquettes made from recycled organic waste. This venture generates shillings three million daily.

The manager of Summit Green Company, Danson Ayimbasibwe collecting Charcoal briquettes from the drier at Kito – Matugga Wakiso district. (Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu)

The day-long excursion also traversed other locations like Matugga, where the youth-led project is stationed as well as the muddy and congested slums of Namuwongo that Mutebi with support from the Rotary Club of Kisugu Victoria View have impacted over 3,000 families with an eco-entrepreneurship project.

Testimonies from beneficiaries

Peace Nandawula, the headteacher of Cambridge Junior School in Matugga, said before they discovered briquettes, the academic institution heavily relied on firewood as fuel to cook the meals for the pupils.

"I use less than 20kg of briquettes to prepare meals for a population of over 500 pupils," Nandawula said.

While commending Summit Green for showing her this safer, healthier and cheaper alternative to cooking for a large school population, she recalled how in the past, they had to deal with the unreliable supply of firewood.

"With firewood today you get it, tomorrow you may fail, but briquettes are ever available, easy to use and they also simplify the cook's work," she said with a grin.

Ezekiel Kazibwe, her counterpart at St Kizito High School in Namugongo whose school has earned global stardom thanks to Summit Green, said the school is involved in several activities including plastic recycling, paver and brick-making enterprises as well as mushroom growing and fish farming in a large pond among others.

In 2023, St Kizito was also recognised as the top school countrywide by Vision Group in the media company's Green School Initiative which is funded by United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Members of Yoka show their Charcoal briquettes ready for sale at Namuwongo Kampala. (Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu)

This year, in 2024, the same school still excelled, emerging as the best overall school in the central region due to its exceptional eco-friendly practices.

"As a school, we generate a lot of food leftovers because we have a population of 1,200 students. But we put them aside, dry and crush them to feed our chicken, fish and pigs in the school farm," Kazibwe stated.

According to Kazibwe, his school has several projects which they run alongside the new competence-based curriculum, which is aimed at equipping students with 21st-century skills.

The Namugongo-based school has also embraced the use of briquettes in its cooking routine, which Kazibwe testified is a game changer in terms of cost management as well as the efficiency with which the food is delivered, key among which is a smoke-free kitchen that he takes pride in.

On the other side of town, across the central business district of Kampala lies another beneficiary.

Set in the rugged and muddy narrow roads of Namuwongo that crisscrosses a defunct railway line emerges another trio of beneficiaries who showered praises on this life-changing green enterprise.

Over 3,000 slum dwellers in this dingy neighbourhood have been extensively impacted by Summit Green.

New Vision Online spoke to three slum residents. Elderly Fidah Nasilumbi, who is the women's representative for Yoka Zone, said the briquette production has greatly reduced the rate of crime in their notorious residential area well known for breeding criminals.

Project chairperson Easu Tumukunde, who doubles as Yoka zone's publicity secretary and his peers all commended the Rotary Club of Kisugu for lifting them out of poverty; their shared gratitude also went out to Summit Green and Mutebi for his selfless efforts, which they say have largely revitalised their community.

For six months, Mutebi and his team ran a community project in this crime-infested territory in 2023 that has since produced results in terms of mindset change and attitude towards work.

Nasilumbi said the Namuwongo residents, despite their poverty-stricken community, have embraced briquettes as a better cooking option and are slowly giving up on fuel.

The Chief Executive Officer of Summit Green Company, Ronald Mutebi (left) and Ronald display packed Charcoal briquettes ready for sale. (Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu)

According to her, they still face a hurdle of power costs, arguing that: "We spend shillings 30,000 each day to buy electricity, and the weather can also affect our production since we rely on sunshine to dry our briquettes."

Mutebi noted that he aims to ensure they can handle waste management in line with climate change to align themselves with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as biowaste recycling by turning organic waste into briquettes.

"As part of SDG4 quality education, where we work and collaborate with schools to nurture youth about conservation and skilling," he said. " This is in accordance with the new curriculum of Uganda."

Mutebi also cited SDG7 to provide affordable and clean energy which is smoke-free and encourages tree and forest preservation as well as SDG13 to address climate action, and SDG11, which focuses on sustainable cities and communities.