Uganda’s rivers choking on plastics

The name Mbale is derived from the word Kamabale, the local name for stones. This is the name that the forefathers of the people living at the foothills of Mt. Elgon gave to one of the new cities in eastern Uganda.

As River Nabuyonga flows through urban areas, including Mbale, it is becoming clogged because of the careless disposing of plastics.

Nabuyonga swallows loads of plastics, which it carries downstream into parts of Doho and River Mpologoma, a catchment of Lake Kyoga in eastern Uganda.

“River Nabuyonga never used to flood,” a resident of Mbale town who preferred anonymity said, adding that, “it has now turned hostile because of the destruction of its catchment.”

Polythene bags and plastics blocking part of Nakivubo Channel near Nakivubo Mews in Kampala.

Over 29 bodies were recovered from Nabuyonga after a number of people drowned when it flooded last year. The flooding, which is common at Namakwekwe near the market, is partly attributed to the obstruction of the Nabuyonga waterway by plastics.

Loads of plastics can be seen clogging the entire River Nabuyonga and some along its banks.

Apart from plastic pollution, an industrial area has been constructed in the catchment area where two other rivers; Namatala and Manafwa, meet River Nabuyonga in Mbale.

Origin River

Nabuyonga flows from Wanale Hill down through Senior Quarters popularly known as Kichaafu, and joins River Namatala in Mbale city.

The river is lately choking on plastics and polyethylene materials, and the impact of this was witnessed during last year’s flash floods.

Mbale Woman Member of Parliament Miriam Mukhaye expressed concern at the rampant indiscriminate disposing of plastic bottles and bags in the district and fears that the district may face dire consequences in future.

“We need to handle the disposal of plastics with lots of attention because its adverse effects are already being felt in the district,” she says.

Rhoda Nyaribi, the Mbale city principal environment officer, said due to poor disposal of plastics in Mbale, all plastics and other non-biodegradable materials are washed into rivers like Nabuyonga during the rainy season. This, she adds, triggers the ripple effect of flooding in Mbale city.

“We are intensifying the sensitisation of the public on the adverse effects of the careless disposal of plastic on our environment,” Nyaribi said.

Efforts to recycle and re-use plastics and other non-biodegradable materials are part of the long-term solution that has been highlighted by the Mbale leaders.

The leaders, including Members of Parliament from Bugisu, say they intend to persuade the Government to push for alternative packaging and bottling materials to replace plastics and polyethylene so as to save the environment.

Lots of effort on the part of leaders and residents of Mbale is needed to avert the pollution of waterways by plastic materials. Otherwise, for now, River Nabuyonga continues to choke.

In western Uganda, River Rwizi, which is a source of water for 12 districts, is also facing pollution because of plastic bottles that end up in it in addition to farmers engaging in expansive agricultural activities. The plastics mainly come from residences, hotels and business premises in Mbarara city.

River Rwizi 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 Kijanebarora.

In Mbarara, River Rwizi traverses Nyakayoojo, Kakoba, and Nyamitanga divisions, and it is the only source of water for the more than 400,000 residents of Mbarara municipality.

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

The bottles often form heaps in the river, which has attracted the concern of several stakeholders.

The mess in river Rwizi

“We are here because of the mess that you are seeing in this river. The problems of River Rwizi have been river bank encroachment and waste water. Plastic bottles are now part of the problem and we must look for a solution,” Louis Mugisha, a water expert who lives in Mbarara, said.

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

He says 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 many a livelihood.

Mugisha, however, says factories were not the only ones to blame for the mess.

“The public who carelessly dispose of the bottles are also to blame. It is everyone’s responsibility to stop the littering.”

Kampala’s filthy channel

The 10km Nakivubo Channel in Kampala starts its journey at Wandegeya and moves through downtown Kampala before it pours into Lake Victoria at Murchison Bay in Luzira, Nakawa division.

It moves as it picks up wastes of all kinds from spots like the Old Taxi Park, St Balikuddembe (Owino) Market and Clock Tower.

It then traverses areas of Wankoko in Industrial Area and on to Namuwongo and below Bukasa before it empties the wastes into the lake.

As a way of saving Lake Victoria from choking on waste transported by Nakivubo Channel, National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is putting the saying “Prevention is better than cure” into practice.

NWSC diverts the Nakivubo Channel waste water into its premises at the newly reconstructed Bugolobi plant during the dry season and partially treats the waste.

This is done to reduce the escalating cost of treating water at Ggaba Water Works, according to NWSC.