The future of River Rwizi, a major water source for agricultural, domestic, and commercial needs for millions of people in Ankole sub-region, has been stabbed by plastic bottles pollution released by factories producing drinks in Mbarara City.

The river originates from Buhweju hills with various tributaries from Nkore hills, including Ntungamo and Sheema hills which join it. It pours its water into Lake Victoria via the drainage systems of lakes Mburo, Kachera, and Kijanebalola. 

At least 12 districts depend on the River Rwizi’s water for both domestic and commercial use.

With over fi ve million people in eight districts in western Uganda estimated to be depending on the river for water, its protection is central in the sustainable development of the south western region. In Mbarara city, River Rwizi traverses Nyakayoojo, Kakoba, and Nyamitanga divisions and it is the only source of water for the 400,000 municipality residents.

This major water source, however, has been heavily polluted by the empty plastic bottles that cover the surface of water in Buremba village, Mbarara city North.

The bottles that have formed a heap in the river attracted the attention of several stakeholders, who promptly inspected sections of the river on Thursday. They included the team from the water and environment ministry, Lake Victoria Water Management Zone, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), River Rwizi Catchment Protection Committee as well as Mbarara district, city, and LC chairpersons leaders.

The team and officials from Century Bottling Company and Mbarara University of Science

and Technology, inspected a section of River Rwizi to ascertain the level of pullution.

Century Bottling Company, the manufacturers and distributors of Coca Cola products in Uganda, have two plants (Namanve in Kampala and Mbarara) Louis Mugisha, a team leader for Lake Victoria Water Management Zone, observed that the plastic bottles carelessly dumped on the river banks end up into the river during heavy rains.

 “We are here because of this mess that you are seeing in this river. The problems of River Rwizi have been river bank encroachment and waste water, but plastic bottles have also come on board and we must look for a solution,” he said.

Mugisha urged factories producing drinks in plastic bottles to set up systems to manage waste from the environment for recycling.

He said as Mbarara becomes a city, if nothing is done about the pollution of water bodies, the situation will get worse because River Rwizi is a source of livelihood.

Mugisha, however, said factories were not the only ones to blame for the mess, but also the public who carelessly dispose of the bottles, saying it is everyone’s responsibility to stop the littering.

Mugisha advised that factories involved in releasing bottles to the environment to invest in collection and recycling of the bottles. 

Jeconius Musingwire, the NEMA manager of south western region, said companies should read and follow the guidelines of the environmental assessment impact licence given to them on environment and waste management. He said they should hire authorised companies to collect waste and ensure it is properly disposed of.

Capt. JB Tumusiime Bamuturaki, the Mbarara district chairperson, who also chairs the River Rwizi Catchment Protection Committee, reported that his committee has asked the producers of drinks and the companies to form a monitoring committee to make sure they monitor each other in waste management and will also have the media on board to check the behaviour of people littering waste.

The stakeholders agreed to immediate resolutions which included removal of all plastic waste that has been deposited in the river and creating public awareness campaigns about dangers of plastic waste and promote proper waste handling.

At the same meeting, plastic bottling companies were urged to put in place incentives to collect plastics from communities.

In a telephone interview, Simon Kaheru, the public affairs and communications director of Coca Cola, said the company had designed several measures to ensure proper plastic waste management.

“For a number of years now, Coca Cola has operated Plastic Recycling Industries in Kampala (Nakawa) that buys waste from the public to recycle it into flakes for re-use. Our operation sensitises people to not discard bottles carelessly, to avoid them getting into waterways and soils, but also encourages a collection system from the environment.

Last year we launched an effort at River Mpanga to begin controlling poor plastic waste disposal so that it does not end up like River Rwizi,” he added.