Ugandans advised to reap from garbage

Jan 09, 2019

The remarks were made by Kenneth Tumusiime , a waste management consultant and the country coordinator Cleanup Uganda campaign projects.

ENVIRONMENT

MBARARA - In a bid to make Uganda the cleanest country in Africa by 2021, government and its various institutions have been asked to popularise the economic value in garbage to save the environment and human life.

The remarks were made by Kenneth Tumusiime , a waste management consultant and the country coordinator Cleanup Uganda campaign.

"Look at how the demand for metal and plastic waste is increasing, people roam streets and homes to collect waste because there has been an economic value attached to it and this can apply to garbage," said Tumusiime.

Tumusiime, who was addressing the media on Friday at Lake View Hotel in Mbarara district on new strategies underway to ensure Uganda becomes a cleanest destination in the whole of Africa by 2021, added that if government cames out with a deliberate strategy to sensitise and support the economic value attached to garbage, a good number of Ugandans would earn a living from it.

"Sensitise these people about the economic value, let them sort out this garbage, you will find no garbage on streets ,roads and homes because they will know the market is available," said Tumusiime.

He added that garbage has many uses including making of manure, handcrafts, gas and fuel, briquettes and animal feeds.

The Cleanup Uganda project campaign is going to involve the bodaboda motorists in disciplining those that litter especially in urban centers.

"Bodabodas are everywhere, so if we sensitise them, they can always help to stop those who litter and this group is already doing commendable work in Fort Portal," he said.

He added that they will involve religious leaders in sensitization campaign, put up a toll free line to report those who litter and abuse waste management laws.

They will also encourage mandatory use of dustbins in transport industry, adoption of waste management plans in all institutions including schools, places of worship and promote waste sorting at source for value addition and promote Burungi-bwansi (community service), among others.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});