Garbage overwhelms towns after cleaning exercise

From Kampala to Mbale, residents complained of heaps of rotting waste dumped on roadsides, blocking businesses, disrupting traffic flow and emitting an unbearable stench. What began as a symbol of collective responsibility quickly exposed persistent shortcomings in urban waste management, with authorities admitting they lacked the capacity to evacuate the enormous volumes of rubbish generated during the exercise.

Vehicles and other motorists are forced to use a single lane as uncollected garbage blocks part of the road at Wekembe Market in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District. The garbage, left behind after the National Cleaning Day on Saturday, has disrupted traffic flow. (Credit: Farooq Kasule)