Busia in garbage mess
Apr 18, 2005
<br>GARBAGE collection in Busia town council has stopped after Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) confiscated the only garbage truck over debt.<br>Mayor Michael Mugeni expressed fears that cholera was likely to attack the place.
By Egessa Hajusu
GARBAGE collection in Busia town council has stopped after Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) confiscated the only garbage truck over debt.
Mayor Michael Mugeni expressed fears that cholera was likely to attack the place.
He said URA confiscated the council truck Reg Number LG 223-01 over unpaid VAT amounting to sh375m, which accumulated between 1995 and 2005. He said the truck was in Police custody.
“Everybody is bothered by this decomposing garbage which is scattered all over the place and coupled with the heavy rains, we fear that cholera is likely to break out,†Mugeni said.
He said confiscating the truck had greatly affected garbage collection, leading to poor sanitation.
Mugeni said the council had resolved to hire private individuals to collect the garbage but they turned down the offer, fearing that their trucks would also be confiscated.
He said he was in talks with his Tororo counterparts over hiring of their trucks but they were charging him highly.
The district director of health services, Dr. Oundo Bwire, said if the Public Health Act was to be implemented to the letter, three quarters of Busia town would be closed over the poor sanitary conditions.
Oundo said there was a contradiction that whereas Busia district was being praised at national level for spearheading the implementation of sanitation programmes, the town council was the dirtiest place in the country.
GARBAGE collection in Busia town council has stopped after Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) confiscated the only garbage truck over debt.
Mayor Michael Mugeni expressed fears that cholera was likely to attack the place.
He said URA confiscated the council truck Reg Number LG 223-01 over unpaid VAT amounting to sh375m, which accumulated between 1995 and 2005. He said the truck was in Police custody.
“Everybody is bothered by this decomposing garbage which is scattered all over the place and coupled with the heavy rains, we fear that cholera is likely to break out,†Mugeni said.
He said confiscating the truck had greatly affected garbage collection, leading to poor sanitation.
Mugeni said the council had resolved to hire private individuals to collect the garbage but they turned down the offer, fearing that their trucks would also be confiscated.
He said he was in talks with his Tororo counterparts over hiring of their trucks but they were charging him highly.
The district director of health services, Dr. Oundo Bwire, said if the Public Health Act was to be implemented to the letter, three quarters of Busia town would be closed over the poor sanitary conditions.
Oundo said there was a contradiction that whereas Busia district was being praised at national level for spearheading the implementation of sanitation programmes, the town council was the dirtiest place in the country.